I am running for BCB president – Somwaru
Hilbert Foster
Hilbert Foster

… Stresses honesty, transparency once elected

 

PRESIDENT of the Guyana Cricket Umpires Council, Dhierandranauth Somwaru, has confirmed that he will run for president of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) in next month’s elections.
The 64-year-old made the disclosure yesterday, saying his decision to run is because of the interest he has in the game.
“Well I have been in cricket all the time, and I have been an administrator. I was the first vice-president of the BCB, and when Mr. Beharry resigned somebody had to take up the mantle, and I have decided to, because of my interest in cricket. Playing cricket for over 50 years, being an administrator in schools and so on, I decided to take it up. I was prompted by some of my friends to run for it, so that’s why I have made the decision,” the former first-class umpire said.

The elections of the BCB followed a ruling delivered by Justice Navindra Singh last September 8, with the purpose of electing officer-bearers of the board.
Somwaru is the lone confirmed candidate so far, with Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club Hilbert Foster, expected to be his rival.
But, Foster is yet to confirm his position whether to run for the top post since he had told the Chronicle Sport in an interview earlier this week that it will take a superhuman effort to lift Berbice cricket.
However, Somwaru pointed out that the only interest he has is for the good of cricket, adding that honesty and transparency will be his fundamental mantras once elected.
“I will want to see cricket going back to the grassroots level … the youngsters, and then moving on for Berbice to once again be the champion team in this country. One of the things I would like to see once I am elected if for my people to be honest, straightforward, transparent … I don’t want anything to be hidden from anybody.

Dhierandranauth Somwaru

“Let us be open …include some of those clubs who have not played cricket for a long time, for example Kildonan has not been playing first division cricket, Upper Corentyne has not taken part in any competitive cricket, so they are the things I would like to see happening once again, so that cricket can be played right across Berbice,” Somwaru pointed out.
He added “One of the things I was fighting for since I was an executive of the BCB is for us to move into Orealla and Siparuta, because I played cricket against those boys, so I would like to see those people also taking part in competitive cricket. Those are some of my ideas I have in mind.”.
Somwaru is currently the acting president of the BCB, following the resignation of then-president Anil Beharry who resigned from the post in January of this year.
Beharry’s one-year term expired in December 2015, according to what is stipulated in the Cricket Administration Bill, but his tenure was significantly hindered a few months after the December 2014 elections, after applicants Godwyn Allicock of the Port Mourant Cricket Club and David Black of the West Berbice Cricket Association sought and were granted a court injunction against the BCB.
That injunction was subsequently withdrawn allowing Somwaru to assume the responsibility of acting president.
The October 8 elections will be the first since 2014, and perhaps will be the most important one for the county.

According to what is stipulated in the Cricket Administration Bill, three sub-associations, along with eleven first division clubs, have secured voting rights during the elections process.
The sub-associations are: West Berbice, Berbice River and Upper Corentyne while the first division clubs are Blairmont, Police, Mt Sinai, Fort Canje, Guymine, Rose Hall Estate, Chesney, Albion, Port Mourant, Whim and Kildonan.
East sub-association is entitled to four voting delegates while the clubs have two voting delegates each.

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