GUYANA and West Indies Under-15 all-rounder Mavendra Dindial is among 14 players included in the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA)-sponsored team, set to participate in the third annual USA Open tournament scheduled for December 20-23.

The tournament, organised by the Cricket Council of the USA, will be contested in three categories – Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 – and will be played at the International Cricket Council (ICC)-approved venue, Central Broward Regional Park & Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida.

According to the organisers, registration is open for teams and players with the top ten players guaranteed scholarships. The games will be broadcast live on MAQ Television.

The promising and talented Dindial was part of the West Indies Under-15 squad who toured England last August under Cricket West Indies (CWI) High Performance coach Graeme West. He also represented Guyana in the regional Under-17 tournament, played in Trinidad and Tobago the previous month and was a permanent fixture in the Demerara Under-15 and Under-17 sides.

Other notable inclusions are left-arm spinner Zachary Jodha, Arun Gainda, Romeo Deonarain and Alvin Mohabir who led the successful Demerara Under-15 team to victory over defending champions Berbice in this year’s Inter-county tournament.

Jodha was part of Guyana’s Under-17 team which participated in the regional tournament in Trinidad and Tobago and was also a member of the Demerara Under-17 and Under-19 Inter-county teams.

All-rounder Gainda, a product of Ogle Sports Club, donned colours for the Select Under-17 side in this year’s Under-19 Inter-county tournament while the versatile Deonarain made useful contributions with both bat and ball while he was a member of Demerara Under-15 Inter-county team. He also plays for the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC).

The team will be managed by former Guyana and West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan with Omechand Deonarian serving as assistant manager. The coach is former national player Hubern Evans while the physiotherapist is Dave Anand Mohabir and Lalta Gainda the technical assistant.

The 14-man squad reads: Alvin Pradeep Mohabir, Nicholas Mukesh Shiopersaud, Gabriel Vivian Rookhum, Arun Gainda, Zachary Alexander Jodha, Romeo Deonarain, Nityanand Mathura, John Errol Persaud (Jr), Mavendra Dindial, Jonhatan Brayden Vang Lange, Dave Doobraj Mohabir, Ravindra Rovin Singh, Stephon Sankar, Premkumar Permaul.

Meanwhile, the GFSCA squad will take on Blairmont Blazers Youths in two T20 practice matches on Saturday, December 17 at the Blairmont ground, West Bank, Berbice.

The first game is scheduled to get underway at 09:00hrs.