MINISTER of State Joseph Harmon on Sunday night called on cricket stakeholders to work together to resolve the existing differences so that young cricketers are not hampered in their development.Minister Harmon was at the time addressing awardees and special invitees at the Demerara Cricket Club’s Annual Awards Ceremony for 2015-2016, at which he was also inducted as the Club’s new Patron.
The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has been locked in a court battle through a controversy, which erupted seven years ago, with the formation of an Interim Management Committee, following a ruling by former Chief Justice Ian Chang in a legal contest over the legality of the GCB’s Executive Elections after their Annual General Meeting.
Since then, there have been no elections and this has prevented the subsidiary clubs of the Board from performing as they should.
Minister Harmon used the opportunity to point out that cricket, for the longest while, has been a unifying force in the Caribbean and this legacy must be carried forward.
“Cricket brings people together. Irrespective of your race, class, colour, creed religion or wealth, cricket brings you together. We need to unify the cricket administration in Guyana. We need to find some common ground that will make the cricket movement much more solid than it is right now,” Harmon said.
He continued, “For too long, we have had too much pulling and tugging and as a result we are not getting our best talent from this country and we need to bring an end to that. If there is anything at all I can contribute to this club, I would lend my skill and expertise to making sure that we try to help these sides so that cricket can benefit in Guyana,” Minister Harmon said.
In accepting the honour, Minister Harmon said that selflessness from stakeholders and sponsors and investments in the young people not only help in the personal development of those individuals, but also go a far way in positively impacting communities and the country.
Meanwhile, Mr Alfred Mentore, president of the Demerara Cricket Club, in his brief remarks, noted that the club could not have found a better patron and role model for the young players, who frequent the organisation.
“Many may think that being the Patron of an organisation is just about having one’s name associated with the organisation. However, we at the Demerara Cricket Club see the Patron of the Club as a person of respectability, credibility, stature, care and who is people-centred.”
Mentore noted that Minister Harmon’s acceptance to be Patron of the Club and his stature and respectability will now be the distinct standard to which the Club will hold itself.
Minister within the Ministry of Education, Ms Nicolette Henry, who has responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, was also present.
Among the awardees were Keemo Paul and Tevin Imlach, the two Guyanese Under-19 players, who played in the Under-19 Twenty20 World Cup Cricket for the West Indies.