in massive development programme

“WHEN I was elected President of the Berbice Cricket Board in 2018, I made a commitment to work hard to make sure that every youth is given the equal opportunity to fulfill their talent on the field, in spite of poverty, lack of facilities and the club they play for.

Over the years, my administration has worked very hard to fulfill this promise, and, today, another set of 24 players would benefit.
“We have assisted close to 1000 youths to be better cricketers and students in the classroom; we are very proud of this achievement and we would continue to assist in the future.” Said BCB President Hilbert Foster at the presentation ceremony of the inaugural Zamal Hussain Berbice Cricket Trust Fund.
Twenty-four youth cricketers from clubs across the county received personal gear from the Trust Fund. They are: Isaacs Charles, Nathaniel Amsterdam, Jonathan Daniels, Gautam Dhanraj, Gavin Kesten, Vishal Williams, Suraj Cyril, David Alfred, Christopher Baldeo, Keon Joseph, Adesh Hemraj, Joel Baldeo, Trevor Reynold, Alese Moore, Keshain Narine, Melon Barnwell, Sohail Srikissoon, Rajesh Singh, Khemraj Sewnauth, Delroy Singh, Davindra Capel, and the lone female, Saradha Sewnarine.
They each received a cricket ball, a pair of batting pad and batting gloves. Foster told the gathering of young cricketers to take advantage of the efforts of the BCB, and use the gears for the intended purpose.

The BCB President stated that the Board is determined to uphold the legacy of Rohan Kanhai, Alvin Kallicharran, Basil Butcher and Roy Fredricks, and expressed his gratitude to Hussain, a Vice-Chairman of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), for his support, hailing him as a true friend of Berbice Cricket.
Foster stated that Hussain has followed in the footsteps of Region Five (Demera-Berbice)’s Vice-Chairman Rion Peters, and Member of Parliament Faizul Jaffarally in setting up trust funds to assist cricketers and clubs in the area.

Foster urged the young cricketers to develop a culture of hard work, dedication, discipline, and devotion to the game. He also disclosed that another 100 youth players will receive about $8M worth of gears by year end, while clubs will receive $1M worth of red cricket balls.
Youth cricketers will also benefit from personal development clinics, coaching manuals, youth information booklets, and coaching sessions involving 20 part-time coaches attached to the BCB/Government of Guyana programme.

Meanwhile, the BCB President fulfilled a promise he’d made to 13-year-old Fardeen Kaleeem of the Cotton Tree Cricket Club. Foster had met Kaleem on a recent visit to the West Berbice Cricket Academy, and readily agreed to assist the teenager to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional cricketer.

With the support of former national player Sheik Mohamed, Foster presented $100,000 worth of gears to Kaleem. The items received included a bat, batting pad, batting gloves, helmet, and protective gears. A delighted Kaleem expressed gratitude to Foster for his assistance, while his mother, Yasheena Persaud hailed the BCB president as a role model and mentor.
Hussain stated that as a proud Berbician, he is very happy with the work the BCB has been doing under Foster’s leadership, and has always wanted to be part of the organisation’s developmental process. He urged the young aspiring cricketers to take proper care of the items they have been given, and to focus on their education.
Hussain also noted that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government is investing heavily in the development of sports in Berbice, and pledged his continued support of the BCB in the future.

The players were drawn from clubs like Guymine, Mt. Sanai, Edinburg, Rose Hall Canje, Tucber Park, Port Mourant, Cotton Tree, Bath, Bush Lot United, Scottsburg, Upper Corentyne, RHTYSC, Albion and Berbice River.