Pestano, Giddings cop top cricket prizes

THE training hall of the St Francis Community Developers was almost filled to capacity as Guyana’s leading youth and sports club, Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC), held a gala 29th Annual Awards Ceremony.

Trophies, medals, framed certificates, prizes and donations worth $2.5M were presented to dozens of club members, cricket clubs, youths, medical personnel, retired teachers, outstanding teachers and students, law enforcement officers and deserving members of the public.

Among the prizes were cell phones, smart phones, fold rings, smart watches, gold medallions, designer clothing, electrical equipment, household and kitchen items, food hampers, cricket bats, sport gear, cosmetics, hampers, educational materials and designer watches.

RHTY&SC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster noted that the Award Ceremony is hosted every year to recognise and honour outstanding club members who excelled during the previous calendar year and to encourage all RHTY&SC members to always strive for excellence.
The Club, during the three-hour ceremony, also honoured 16 medical personnel, four retired teachers, four outstanding law enforcement officers, eight teachers-of-the-year, eight students-of-the-year and presented its highest award ‘The Dolphin Award of Excellence’ to five outstanding Guyanese.

The longstanding Secretary/CEO in a comprehensive report stated that the Club in 2018 completed a record 718 activities and was very successful on the cricket field.

The 10 cricket teams of the Club over the last 14 months has won a total of 15 cricket tournaments including Pepsi 50-Overs, Busta Champion of Champions 40-Overs, New York Business Group Under-19, New Building Society 40-Over Second Division, Patron’s Cup 10/10 and Raffik Construction 100 Balls Tournaments.

The Club also produced a total of 17 National players including Clinton Pestano, Jonathan Rampersaud, Kevin Sinclair, Shemaine Campbelle, Junior Sinclair, Erva Giddings, Kevlon Anderson, Shabiki Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond and Mahendra Gopilall.

Among the 719 activities completed in 2018 were Scotia Bank Mash Parade, Award Ceremony, Gregory Gaskin Sports Award, Cricket Academy, Republic Bank Summer Camp, Ansa McAl Award of Excellence, Christmas Village, Medical Clinics, Say No/Say Yes Campaign, Annual Christmas Charity Programme and monthly Old Age Pensioners Programme.

Foster also unveiled some major plans for the RHTY&SC in the future, including repairs to its office, construction of an all-weather cricket practice centre and an expansion of the Say No/Say Yes Campaign.

Mayor of Rose Hall Town Chattergoon Ramnauth and Town Clerk Natasha Griffith both hailed the RHTY&SC MS as a proud symbol of the Township and hailed the positive impact the Club has made in the lives of residents in Guyana’s smallest township.

Regional Vice-Chairman Dennis Deroop, one of the five awardees of the RHTY&SC Dolphin Award of Excellence, stated that the Club should be cherished by all Berbicians and be used as a role model. He pledged the Region 6 RDC cooperation to the RHTY&SC on its community and youth development efforts.

Over $500 000 worth of cricket balls, bicycles, cricket gears, stationery, trophies, household items and medals were donated to 20 cricket clubs, Upper Corentyne Cricket Association, Berbice Cricket Board, Students, Rose Hall Town Hindu Temple, an elderly resident from New Amsterdam and a medical worker whose house was recently destroyed by fire.

National player Clinton Pestano copped the prestigious RHTYSC Cricketer-of-the-Year Award and took home $350 000 worth of prizes including a Steven Jacobs gold ring, bicycle, smart phone, watches, household items, electrical items, lazy boy chair, kitchen utensils.
Asst Secretary/CEO Simon Naidu collected a West Indian gold medallion from King’s Jewellery World and smart watch after being named ‘Worker of the Year/Benefit Year’ while West Indies female fast bowler Erva Giddings copped the Female Cricketer-of-the-Year Award.
The full List of Awardees for 2018 are:
Under-13 Batsman/Cricketer-of-the-Year – Nyron Hicks.
Under-13 Bowler-of-the-Year – Nathan Kistama
Under-15 Batsman – Christopher Deroop
Under-15 Bowler/Cricketer – Matthew Pottaya
Under-17 Batsman – Mahendra Gopilall
Under-17 Bowler – Tyrese Sealey
Under-17 Cricketer – Jonathan Rampersaud
Under-19 Batsman/Bowler/Cricketer – Kevin Sinclair
Under-21 Batsman – Kevlon Anderson
Under-21 Bowler – Keith Simpson
Under-21 Cricketer – Kevin Sinclair
Metro Female Batter – Shemaine Campbelle
Metro Female Bowler/Cricketer – Erva Giddings
Second Division Batsman – Kevin Sinclair
Second Division Bowler/Cricketer – Junior Sinclair
First Division Batsman – Kevlon Anderson
First Division Bowler – Shawn Pereira
First Division Cricketer – Kevin Sinclair
Disciplined Male Player – Chanderpaul Govindan
Disciplined Female Player – Mariam Samaroo
Most Promising Female Player – Sheneta Grimmond
Most Promising Male Player – Kevin Sueraj
Most Committed Male Player – Mahendra Gopilall
Most Committee Female Player – Uma Matadin
Worker of the Year/Benefit Year – Simon Naidu
Most Improved Female Cricketer – Abigail Kishun
Most Improved Male Cricketer – Nicholas Lawson/Shivnarine Ramnarine
Male Fielder of the Year – Junior Sinclair
Female Fielder of the Year – Shabiki Gajnabi
Special Award – Eon Hooper
Special Under-13 Award – Terell Hutson
Cricketer-of-the-Year – Clinton Pestano
Secretary/CEO Special Award: Terry Pike, Sohan Harry, Tyrone Pottaya, Keith Hicks, Ravindranauth Kissoonlall, Surendra Kissoonlall, Navin Raghoo, Mark Papannah, Eon Wiggins, Elizabeth Brusch, Phil Arthur, Brenda Millington and Neville Beaton.
Additionally, RHTY&SC and official sponsor Bakewell honoured 15 members of the Rose Hall Town Bakewell Second Division Team for winning six major titles over the last 14 months.