EXACTLY one week ago, the Guyana Amazon Warriors finally became Caribbean Premier League (CPL) champions. The taste of sweet victory eluded us for a decade, and now that we are finally winners, it just feels so good.

I watched the final match, the Warriors versus the Trinbago Knight Riders, at the Giftland Mall. There were crowds around every screen. We all seemed united in our yearly belief: this is we year! And when Saim Ayube hit the winning runs, it was sheer joy (and pure ruckus). I can’t comment on the atmosphere at the National Stadium, Providence, but from all indications, it seemed just as electric, if not more. Regardless of where you were, I think once you were following the game, seriously or casually, there was a sense of pure joy when we won. Days later, I am still feeling that joy.

This win is a 10-year journey. And there must be many stories people can tell about the Warriors and our seemingly enduring faith in them. I know I have a lot of stories, and that’s why this win means so much to me.

For me, the first match I ever watched live at the Providence Stadium was a clash between the Warriors and the then-Barbados Tridents (they are now called the Barbados Royals). The current Trinbago Knight Riders, Kieron Pollard, played for the Tridents then and during that match, he ran in front of the stand I was seated in to taunt us every time there was a wicket. I appreciate him as a special player and I think he has been a great West Indian player, but I won’t ever forget that. In my head, there has been some sort of weird rivalry between the Warriors and whatever team Pollard plays for. Since that game, I haven’t missed out on the CPL matches. I’ve gone to games, whether at the Stadium or a bar, with my friends and my heart would be filled (until, you know, we lose). In 2019, I was just so sure our Warriors would win that year. I was in Trinidad, attending the University of the West Indies, and one of my first outings was at the Queen’s Park Oval, where we met the players during a practice session.

As the tournament progressed, I would run across campus with a flag as tall as me when we won games. I also wore my ‘Guyanese’ shirts to class and/or used my smaller flag as a bandana. However, that season, we won every game but lost the final. The student association I was part of, the Guyana Students’ Association in Trinidad and Tobago (GuySATT), had a final lime/ viewing at a bar called GT Vibes (how apt), and we were just collectively gutted. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was upon us and I was stuck in lockdown in my hall of residence. Even then, we found ways of connecting virtually- Zoom rooms and WhatsApp groups- so we could enjoy the games together. When we were able to go outside a bit, my friends and I got doubles from Curepe to devour during the night games. It was, really and truly, the bright spot in life during that very difficult period. And in 2021 and 2022, it was a readjustment to life back home. So it was CPL with new friends or catching up and clowning out with old ones.

Year after year, it would be our year. And look, now it finally is!

I love how cricket, particularly this tournament, brought joy to so many of us. I love how it demonstrated that sport is a great unifier because clearly, it is. Even if you lost faith in the Warriors somewhere along the 10-year journey or you aren’t an avid cricket fan, I’m sure this win means something and it counts for something. I don’t know if any subsequent win could ever top this. Not even the double World Cup wins in 2016 come close to this feeling for me. Next year is we year again, though.

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