FORMER Guyana High Commissioner to India and former Member of Parliament, Charandas Persaud, has, once again, showed his love for cricket and confidence in Project “Cricket Gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana,” the joint initiative between Anil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of the USA.

The attorney-at-law donated four cricket bats, 12 red cricket balls and two pairs of batting gloves to the project. Persaud’s total contributions to this project are nine cricket bats, 24 red balls and two pairs of batting gloves. He disclosed that he was impressed with the initiative, which was reaching out to young and aspiring cricketers, male and female, across the length and breadth of Guyana.

The project took the opportunity to thank the Berbician for his continued support. “This project is pleased to be part of the development of young cricketers in Guyana and aims to keep them off the streets and get them actively involved in sports, cricket in particular.”
Total cricket related items received/purchased so far: $460,000 in cash, 13 coloured cricket uniforms, one set of stumps, two trophies, 32 pairs of cricket shoes, 35 pairs of batting pads, 46 cricket bats, 44 pairs of batting gloves, 26 thigh pads, three pairs of wicket-keeping pads, six arm guards, two chest pads, two boxes, 12 cricket bags, 13 bat rubbers, six helmets, one fiber glass bat, one pair of floppy hat, 14 boxes plus four white cricket balls, 13 boxes of red cricket balls, one bat cone and 28 footballs.

To date, 93 young players, male and female, from all three counties of Guyana have benefitted directly from cash, eight gear bags, two trophies, four arm guards, 35 bats, four boxes, six helmets, 35 pairs of cricket shoes, 25 pairs of batting pads, 27 thigh pads, one bat grip, 45 pairs of batting gloves, one pair of wicket-keeping pads and three pairs of wicket-keeping gloves. In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon area received two used bats.

Pomeroon, Leguan and Wakenaam Cricket Committees and Cotton Tree Die Hard also collected one box of red cricket balls each, Cold Fusion Cricket Club received 13 coloured uniforms while RHCCCC received six boxes of balls, 15 white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicket-keeping gloves, two sets of stumps and bails.

Other beneficiaries are the Essequibo Cricket Board, the Town of Lethem, youth coach Travis Persaud (one box of red cricket balls), male and female teams playing the traditional hardball and softball in the Upper Corentyne area, No.65 Young Titans with 30 T-Shirts, youths of Just Try Cricket Club, Wakenaam Cricket Academy (one box of white balls), Shamar Joseph, Nehemiah Hohenkirk, Shamar Apple, Leguan Cricket Committee, Tucber Park Cricket Club, Malteenoes Sports Club (nine cricket balls each), Kendall’s Union Cricket Club with two boxes of red balls, Lower Corentyne, Corentyne Comprehensive and JC Chandisingh Secondary Schools with 12 red balls each.

Anyone interested in making a contribution can contact Anil Beharry on 623 6875 or Kishan Das on 1 718 664 0896.