THE very successful relationship between the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club MS and Bakewell was renewed for the 24th successive year on Wednesday at a simple presentation ceremony at the Company’s Triumph, East Coast Demerara head office.
Secretary to Bakewell General Manager Natasha Bhikhari handed over the sponsorship to RHTYSC Secretary Hilbert Foster in the presence of club executive Tyron Pottaya.

Foster, who is also the President of the very active Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) noted that Bakewell is the second longest sponsor of the RHTYSC after Farfan and Mendes Ltd, which has been on board for twenty seven years.
The company has sponsored the club’s Under -17 and second division teams at the cost of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars for 2023 while it pumped in another two hundred thousands dollars for the RHTYSC Cricket Academy.

The cricket teams are among the best in Berbice and Foster recalled that the company first sponsored the second division team before adding the strong Under – 17 team to the sponsorship.
The two teams has won a total of over twenty tournamentS and the Under -17 team in 2023 has so far reached the finals of the BCB/Ali Bakery tournament where they willL play arch rivals Albion for championship honours.

The teams since 2000 has also produced dozens of players who have gone on to play for either Berbice, Guyana and the West Indies teams including such players as Kevin Sinclair, Esuan Crandon, Royston Crandon, Assad Fudadin, Kevlon Anderson, Shemaine Campbelle, Shakabi Gajnabi, Jonathan Rampersaud, Dominic Rikhi, Askhay Homraj, Delbert Hicks, Khemraj Mahadeo, Jermey Sandia, Junior Sinclair, Keith Simpson, Matthew Pottaya, Sheneeta Grimmond, Erva Giddings and Slyus Tyndall.

He noted with pride that the relation had produced 12 players who have played cricket at the international level and this was as result of the investment made by the popular bakery.
Foster expressed thanks to the company and hailed them as a true friend of the RHTYSC over the years. Under the sponsorship, the teams are expected to undertake close to forty community projects/programmes under the name of the company.

These would include the distribution of food hampers, educational materials, award ceremonies, feeding of the needy, clean up campaign, television programmes and camps for youths. The company also renewed their sponsorship of the club cricket academy which bowls off at the AreaH Ground on the 17th of July with at least 120 youths in attendance.

The academy will be conducted by head Coach Winston Smith and a battery of coaches including Ryan Algu, Davindra Ramdihal and Eon Hooper. The main objective of the academy is to make sure that the rich tradition of the club continues in the future by producing outstanding players who are all rounded individuals. Players would not only be trained how to be proper cricketers on the cricket field but how to be representatives of the club. The club would provide all the gears for the academy and also prepare snacks for all the attendees for the two weeks program which starts at 9am daily.

A total of four hundred thousand dollars worth of prizes would be shared out to the top awardees . Each of the players at the academy would also receive a school bag and a collection of educational materials . Foster expressed thanks to Bakewell General Manager Rajin Ganga for his support over the years and reassured the company that the club would continue to represent its brand with discipline, passion and pride.

Meanwhile, Panthera Solutions, a member of the Farfan and Mendes Ltd company has come on board to sponsor the repairs of the Area H Ground front internal fence.
The sponsorship would enabled the RHTYSC cricket teams to replace the fence which has been destroyed by animals.
Foster expressed thanks to the company especially Andrew Dinsdale and Ray Austin for their support. The company has over the years supported the club with sponsorship for its cricket development programmes and annual Christmas Village.

Repairs to the Area H Ground main pavillion would soon commence shortly with the assistance of West Indies white ball allrounder Kevin Sinclair while overseas based friend of the club, Dr Frank Denbow has pledged to donate a motorized grass cutter towards the upkeep of the venue.