THE highly successful relationship between the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) and Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL) last Friday was renewed at a simple ceremony at the company’s head office at Diamond, East Bank Demerara. The renewal was done under the name of international soft drink brand, Pepsi.

RHTYSC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that the relationship between the club and Pepsi started in 2004 when the popular brand replaced the Guyana and Telegraph Company Ltd as the official sponsor of the Under-19 and intermediate cricket teams.

The Under-19 team have dominated that level in the county, while the intermediate won all three countywide tournaments organised by the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) during that period.
The long-standing club official, who is also the president of the active BCB, stated that the relationship between the two organisations had produced several Berbice Under-19 championships while numerous players have emerged to play for Berbice, Guyana and the West Indies.

Junior Sinclair, who was recently drafted into Guyana Amazon Warriors team, is a product of both teams. Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Askhay Homraj, Dominic Rikhi, Kelvon Anderson, Kevin Sinclair, Shemaine Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Sheneta Grimmond, Shakabi Gajnabi, Jonathan Rampersaud, Mahendra Gopilall, Jermey Sandia, Matthew Pottaya, Keith Simpson are all products of the two teams. Additionally, the two teams have hosted over 2 000 community programmes under the name of the sponsorship.

The club has mandated the teams to successfully host at least 50 programmes annually under the Pepsi sponsorship. The programmes are held under a wide range of sub-headings including educational, coaching, charity, medical, anti- drugs, community development, youth development, awards, social development and anti-suicide.

Foster committed the teams to upholding the high standard of the highest order on and off the cricket field. The club assistant secretary, Jonathan Rampersaud, a national junior player would lead the Under-19 team while West Indies Under-19 Kevlon Anderson, who is now a member of the CWI Emerging Players programme and is scheduled to lead the Intermediate team. They would have Jermey Sandia and Surendra Kissoonlall respectively as vice-captains.

Under-19 captain Jonathan Rampersaud expressed thanks to the management and staff of DDL for their continued confidence in them and pledged to continue representing the Pepsi brand with pride, passion and discipline.

He also disclosed that over the next twelve months, the teams would undertake a total of 60 programmes. These would include the upcoming summer camp for youths and the popular Christmas Village in December.
DDL Marketing executive Larry Wills stated that his company was delighted to renew its sponsorship with the teams as they were very impressed with their performances over the years and the positive results achieved.
The RHT Pepsi team would shortly start preparations for the upcoming BCB inter-club tournament.