–plans set to raise funds for indoor practice facility

THE executives of the pro-active Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) at their monthly meeting on Thursday last approved a plan for the honouring of several overseas-based cricketing heroes of the county who now live in the United States.

The board is hoping to organise a historic ceremony at a venue in New York on the 10th of June to honour heroes on the cricket field and those who served with distinction as administrators.

BCB president, Hilbert Foster stated that under the leadership of his elder brother Keith, the board had introduced an honour system in 2009 to recognise the contribution of heroes of Berbice cricket.

The programme was named ‘Tribute to Hero’ and dozens of persons were honoured over the last 14 years.

The majority of those honoured were locally based residents as the board was unable to get in contact with overseas former cricketers or was unable financially to bring them back to Guyana.
This situation would now be corrected with at least two BCB executives visiting New York City to honour dozens of former national players, administrators and supporters of Berbice cricket.

The visit would be of little cost to the BCB as most of the expenses would be sponsored.

Great efforts have been made to acquire a suitable venue while a former West Indies captain is expected to be the guest speaker.

Several Berbice former national players including Clayton Lambert and Derek Kallicharran have agreed to work along with the BCB to make the event a success.

Awards would be given out to 25 former national players and five former administrators while several sponsors would be honoured for their contribution to Berbice cricket over the last five years. The sponsors would include Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh, Brian Ramphal, Terrence Blackman and Lochan Samkarran.

Among the players expected to be honoured by the BCB would be former test players Alvin Kallicharran, Joe Soloman, Leonard Baichan, Sew Shivnarine, the late Basil Butcher, Mahendra Nagamootoo and Clayton Lambert.

Others include Kamal Singh, Milton Pydana, Keith Cameron, Leslaine Lambert, Sudesh Dhaniram, Vishal Nagamootoo Romain and Tyrone Etwaroo.

Each of the awardees would receive a plaque, trophy, medal of excellence and framed certificate along with a BCB souvenir.

The BCB would also use the visit to raise funds for the construction of an all-weather practice centre. The executives decided on this course of action as a result of the long rainy season that affects the proper preparation of Berbice inter county teams.

The BCB also hopes to have its own permanent office that would assist it to not only save rental fees but allow it to administer the game in a more structured way.