By Rajiv Bisnauth

DESPITE not being represented at last Friday’s Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) elections, newly-elected DCB president, Bissoondyal Singh, said the board will actively engage both the East Bank Cricket Association (EBCA) and the West Demerara Cricket Association (WDCA), with the view of working together for the development of the game not only in Demerara but also nationally.

Delegates from Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA), East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) and Upper Demerara Cricket Association (UDCA) were present on Friday.

“It (the absence of the two associations) is a concern, we will actively engage them. We are extending an olive branch. We don’t need to have a confrontation with anyone, but it is time for us to work together and fix this thing. It is too long,” Singh said

The businessman added, “Let’s work together and fix it. If you have an interest in cricket and not personalities, let’s put that aside and let’s fix the cricket. Let’s hear what is your problem and I will tell you how I think it can be solved. Nothing can be done without conversation, let the conversation be done and we work aggressively to fix it.”

Meanwhile, Singh indicated that the Executive Committee would have to assess the resources they have at the moment to know what plans they can implement.

“We have to see what is the infrastructure in place and what are the financial resources and we will sit with members of the board and put our committees together. Once I get to meet with everybody, we (will) have a programme that is not isolated in Demerara alone, it is a  waste of time. It has to be a national project and we will share it with Minister Charles Ramson Jr and see if we can get his help to move forward with Guyana’s cricke,t, he stressed.

Singh, who is also the president of the ECCB, added “We would also like to pursue a National Cricket College, a satellite academy across Guyana. This college will fix the bridge between academics and sports. We will have to engage all schools, clubs and associations, as school cricket has to be fixed just as inter-house and inter-zone cricket. This will have to be done in collaboration with the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), the ministry and the cricket board.”

The election was scheduled after the Full Court quashed an application that was made by Anand Sanasie, president of the WDCA, to prevent the holding of a free and fair election of Executive Members for the DCB.

In light of the unanimous decision by the Full Court last Wednesday to disallow Sanasie’s application to further stymie the process, the election went ahead unhindered under the supervision of the Court. The decisions were part of the ruling made by Justice Navindra Singh on the matter.

The DCB election was first made possible following the restoration of the Cricket Administration Act to its original condition last September.