-Urged to continue hard work.

By Stephan Sookram
WITH preparations into high gear for their international engagements, the Guyana Baseball League’s female Under-21team took time out on Friday evening to meet well-wishers and supporters.During a small ceremony in Bel Air, the team was hosted at dinner by baseball supporter and female sports advocate Scherazade Khan, and the team also met Mrs Wendy Quinn, wife of the British High Commissioner,Greg Quinn.
Giving brief remarks, Mrs Quinn spoke of the joy it brings her to see a women’s team banding together for sport, reminding those present, “When faced with difficult decisions, follow your heart, look inside and you will find the right answer, you will know what is good and right, trust yourself to do the right thing.”
The team presented Mrs Quinn with a GBL pin in appreciation and thanked her for taking the time out to share in the evening’s proceedings.
The team was also met by Chief Education Officer Olato Sam.
“There’s no describing this feeling, ” was how GBL President Robin Singh summed up the moment to Chronicle Sport Friday Evening, adding that having a baseball team, more so a female team representing Guyana at a sport that was non-existent four years ago is a “dream.
“To see the players, some of these girls started with us in 2013 and they are still with the game. They have left the schools and kept in touch and kept playing on the weekends. To see them still have the enthusiasm for the sport after school, that’s the dream.”
He lauded the sponsors that have been with the team from day one, such as Fly Jamaica, E-networks and others who had seen the potential of the sport.
Earlier in the day, the team met with Director of Sport Christopher Jones at a luncheon with the director lauding them for their hard work and dedication to the sport.
He advised them to make the most of the experiences ahead, to take the opportunity to further their personal growth and to represent Guyana with pride then return and share the knowledge gained with others.
“We have identified female participation in sport as an important component of national growth and in 2015, we asked parliament to approve funding for this area and this was granted”, Jones added, further pledging the support of the National Sports Commission.
The team is headed to Halifax, Canada in August to play in Baseball Canada’s Women’s Under-21 U Invitational. The entire team of young ladies hail from the Ancient County, where baseball is fast becoming a mainstay sport.
Matches will be broadcast live on E-Networks.