By Frederick Halley

SOME 30 teams, including 12 in the women’s category, will vie for supremacy when the second edition of the Vice-president’s softball extravaganza bowls off today at several venues across Georgetown.
The tournament, organised by the Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) Inc, in collaboration with Regal Stationery & Computer Centre, will see the women going into action today while the men will take the field on Friday. The tournament climaxes at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, on Sunday.

According to the organisers, the tournament will see participation from most of the top softball teams throughout Guyana, with the men competing in the three usual categories – Legends Over-50, Masters Over-40 and Open All Stars.}
Of much significance is the upping of the prize monies which will see the winners in all three men’s categories receiving $500, 000, an increase of $200, 000 from last year, while the runners-up will take home $200, 000, an increase of $150, 000 from last year’s $50, 000.
Not to be outdone, the victorious women’s team will waltz away with $300, 000 and the runners-up $100, 000.

In addition, all the winners, runners-up and players of the finals in each category are guaranteed trophies, compliments of Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall fame. Trophy Stall-branded balls will also be used in the men’s categories, while the women will be using the Supreme balls.
The Most Valuable Players (MVPs) in all three men’s categories will ride away with motorcycles (fuel) while the MVP for the women’s division will collect an electrical motorcycle, compliments of Regal Stationery & Computer Centre.
Six teams are slated to participate in the Legends Over-50 – Regal Legends, recent Prime Minister Cup winners Jai Hind, Aash Décor Legends, Rockaway Legends, Essequibo Legends and Parika Defenders.
The Over-40 Masters category features defending champions Regal Masters, winners of the 2024 Prime Minister’s tournament Ariel Masters, Fisherman Masters and Avengers Masters.

The eight teams in contention in the Open All Stars are defending champions Regal All Stars, 2024 Prime Minister’s Cup champions Speedboat All Stars, Belvedere Youths, Hifi All Stars, Name Brand All Stars, Ariel Guyana Knight Riders, Sussex All Stars and Tourism Guyana.
Last year saw Regal teams making a clean sweep of all the categories. Playing unbeaten in the Over-50 category, Regal Legends made light work of Aash Décor in a lopsided final, winning by the huge margin of 121 runs.

Uniss Yusuf led the way with a pugnacious 133 as Regal Legends reached a formidable 243 for three in their allotted 20 overs. Opponents Aash Décor struggled to 121 for four when their 20 overs expired.
The formidable and unbeaten Regal Legends thus ended the 2023 season in a blaze of glory, winning the Orlando Legends tournament for the first time, the inaugural Speaker’s Cup, the New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL) Legends Cup, the Prime Minister’s Cup and the Vice-president’s tournament.

Regal Masters also followed up their triumph in the Prime Minister’s Cup, once again outduelling their fiercest rivals, Ariel Masters by a 29-run margin.
Patrick Rooplall, who slammed a majestic 184 earlier in the tournament, was again the chief destroyer with a fine 71 in the final.
In the Open category, a heroic performance from Hyde Park’s Johnatan Fernandes, who struck a boundary-studded 59 wasn’t enough to earn his team victory over Regal All Stars. Batting first, Hyde Park could only muster 108 for eight in 20 overs.
Regal All Stars reached the required target in 10.3 overs with Fazal Rafiek leading the way with 38.

Of much significant however, Regal teams haven’t won a major tournament in and out of Guyana since. The Over-50 Legends reached the recent final of the Prime Minister’s tournament where they bowed out to Berbice’s Jai Hind while the Over-40s lost to New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL) in the final of the NYSCL 2024 Independence Cup, played in the “Big Apple.” All three teams will therefore be aiming to re-enter winners row this time around.

The Masters Over-40 category also promises much fireworks despite only having four teams. The teams will contest a preliminary round with each playing the other and the top two qualifying for Sunday’s final.
Several top names, including Richard Latif and Chien Gittens from Ariel Masters, Patrick Rooplall and Lennox “Assassin” Marks from Regal Masters and Dubraj Singh of Fisherman Masters will be on show.
The dominant Ariel Guyana Knight Riders, who won the Open category in the Prime Minister’s T20 tournament for three consecutive years, suffered a rare setback when they went down to Speedboat in this year’s final.
Co-sponsor Ariel Persaud is however confident that his charges are capable of bouncing back to win the category come Sunday afternoon.

According to Persaud, “the team is in high spirits and is eager to claim its first title in the Vice-president tournament. We will not take any team for granted. We will play like true warriors.”
Persaud showered praise on Regal’s Mahendra “Anil” Hardyal for keeping softball cricket alive in Guyana, who he said is doing an excellent job.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson, also received kudos for his role in the development of sports overall.