THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) under the leadership of Hilbert foster continues to forge ahead to expand its cricket development programme.
The pro-active cricket board has joined hands with famed Guyanese neurosurgeon, Dr. Armnauth Dukhi to establish a Cricket Development Trust Fund that will benefit youth development in the ancient county.

BCB president Hilbert Foster met with Dr. Dukhi at his St. Joseph Hospital office and the pair discussed the establishment of the Trust Fund. The main objectives of the Dr. Armnauth Dukhi Berbice Cricket Trust Fund are to assist close to twenty youth teams with the necessary coaching equipment, assist the ongoing coaching programme and assist less fortunate cricketers.

Foster stated that his administration is fully committed to making sure that every potential talent in the county is given equal opportunity to fulfill their dreams. The BCB president explained that he knows that cricket is a very expensive sport and as such in very committed to assisting clubs to fulfill their mandates.

The BCB has authoried Dr. Dukhi to raise finance under the trust funds and supporters of Berbice Cricket are hereby encouraged to contact the surgeon to make contribution.
The funds will be used to obtain coaching equipment for the clubs in Berbice which have junior teams. The aim is to assist each club with $100,000.00 worth of coaching equipment. The clubs expected to benefit are Bush Lot, Bath, Achievers, Blairmont, Cotton Tree, Rainbow Generation, Tucber Park, Guymine, East Bank Berbice. Mt. Sinai, Rose Hall Canje, Edinburgh, Albion, RHTYSC, Port Mourant, No. 73 Young Warriors, Radha Krishna Foundation, No. 72 Cut and Load and Skeldon. Foster explained that the BCB has nineteen cricket coaches working across the county on a monthly basis with four in West Berbice, six in New Amsterdam/Canje, six in Lower/Central Corentyne and three in the Upper Corentyne area.
The coaches are employed with the assistance of the Government of Guyana. The requipment will assist these coaches to reach more youths and Foster noted that the BCB has assisted cricketers and clubs with an unmatched list of item including cricket gears, uniforms, stumps, scorebooks, grass cutters, practice nets, bowling machines, water pitchers, pitch covers, youth information booklets, school bags, bicycles, coaching mannuals and cricket balls.

The BCB has also hosted numerous coaching programmes and clinics with coaches like Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Curtly Ambrose, Jimmy Adams, Dr. Desmond Haynes, Roland Butcher, Esaun Crandon, Clyde Butts, Sheik Mohamed, Nolan Mckenzie, Reon King, Courtney Walsh and the late Basil Butcher.
Additionally, the BCB has hosted numerous youth tournaments and this year reintroduced cricket in Secondary schools and hosted historic tournaments at the under 11 and Primary school levels. This is in addition to those at the Under 13, Under 15, Under 17, Under 19, Under 21 and Under23 levels. Dr. Dukhi will be responsible for the funds raised by the trust fund and will hand over the coaching equipment to the board for distribution to the clubs. Person who are willing to contribute to the Dr. Armnauth Dukhi Berbice Cricket Trust Fund can contact him directly.

Dr. Dukhi noted that as a proud Berbician, he was delighted to join hands with the BCB. He stated that he was very pleased with the progress being made in the county and expressed delight at the large number of players being produced by the county. Dr. Dukhi has already sponsored an Under 15 inter club tournament for 2024 and has pledged to fund the construction of a sanitary facility at the No.69 Viking Ground at the cost of about $500,000.00.