A record one hundred and thirty-five youths between the ages of eight to eighteen years old, on Friday last, successfully graduated from the highly successful Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club Bakewell/ Busta 2022 Cricket Academy.

The academy was the largest of its kind since it was first hosted by the club in 1991.

Ramzan Koobir, a selectee on the national under-15 team, was named Cricketer of the Academy and received over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars’ worth of prizes while national under-19 female player, Natasha Subramanie, copped the best female award to take home eighty thousand dollars’ worth in prizes.

Club Secretary/CEO, Hilbert Foster, at the closing ceremony, stated that the success of the academy surpassed every expectation of his executives and was a sign that the club’s future was assured.

Foster stated that the success was the result of early planning, visionary leadership and the support of numerous sponsors. The highlight of the academy was the presence of thirty-five kids and thirty-two young females who never played the game.

This would result in the formation of Guyana’s first ever female under-19 team and the setting up of a historic Kiddies Cricket Academy.

Under the academy, kids between the ages of eight and ten would receive weekly coaching from a team of coaches at the Area H Ground.

The club, over the last two days of the academy, received and approved an unbelievable eighty-two applications from new members and all were approved by its cricket development committee headed by Ravindranauth Kissoonlall.

Foster urged the graduates of the academy to go home and to continue putting into practice what they would have learnt from the five coaches and to develop a culture of hard work, discipline and commitment to the game.

The RHTYSC Secretary/CEO, who is also the President of the active Berbice Cricket Board, stated that the club would also look into hosting other camps during the Easter holidays as the demand is very high among parents for their kids to get involved in sports.

Special thanks were extended to the five coaches and trainers who supervised the players — Winston Smith, Delbert Hicks, Eon Hooper, Ryan Algu and Davindra Ramdihal, along with the support staff including chefs who prepared daily meals and snacks.

Special mention was also made of Region Six Police Commander, Boodnarine Persaud and his Community Relations Officers for assisting to get youths to the academy from areas like Whim, Alness, Toopoo and Fyrish.

Head coach Winston Smith described the academy as the greatest achievement of his coaching career and stated that he was very impressed with the discipline and attitude of the students. He hailed Foster and his supporting staff for their well-oiled organising committee for pulling off the two-week event without a single glitch.

A total of six hundred thousand dollars’ worth of prizes, including gold jewellery, electric tablets, cycles, clothing, cricket uniforms, gears, food hampers, cosmetics hampers and household/kitchen utensils were shared out in the biggest closing ceremony at any cricket academy in Guyana.

Every participant at the academy also received a school bag with educational materials for the new September term as part of the RHTYSC Say yes to education programme.

The other awardees were:
Best Batsman –Munesh Rampersaud
Best Bowler — Raj Tika
Under-15 player — Kamalchand Ramnarance
Under -17 player — Nyron Hicks
Under-19 player — Deeraj Ramjit
Wicketkeeper – Male: Sohail Mohabir
Wicketkeeper — female: Leah Kamlall
Most Disciplined player — Javon Conway
Most Committed — Tandika Leitch
Most Promising — Trisha Hardat
Most committed runners-up — Oma Matadin, Ms. Malisa, Alianna Prass, Joanna Piggot, Priya Mahadeo.
Special award — Dave Prittipal, Romesh Bharrat, Imran Mohamed and Mario Butcher.
Kiddies — Talesh Narine, Azad Ali, Arin Algu and Shelsia Sydella.