AMZAD Mohammed, on a recent visit to Guyana with the Valley Boys masters cricket team of South Trinidad, donated two cricket bats to Project Cricket Gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana. The project is a joint initiative between Anil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of the USA.
The medium-pace all-rounder, who tours the Caribbean and North America on goodwill tours, said that he followed the project and was very impressed with the number of persons that benefited from it, youths in particular. The successful businessman is also involved in charity work in his country.
The total cricket-related items received/purchased so far include: $843,146 in cash, 13 coloured cricket uniforms, one set of stumps, two trophies, 36 pairs of cricket shoes, 40 pairs of batting pads, 51 cricket bats, 48 pairs of batting gloves, 29 thigh pads, three pairs of wicket-keeping pads, six arm guards, two chest pads, two boxes, 15 gear bags, 13 bat rubbers, seven helmets, one fibreglass bat, one floppy hat, 16 boxes and four white cricket balls, 13 boxes of red cricket balls, one bat cone, one pair of batting inners and 28 footballs.
To date, 108 players from all three counties of Guyana have benefited directly from cash, 11 gear bags, two trophies, four arm guards, 43 bats, five boxes, six helmets, 39 pairs of cricket shoes, 23 pairs of batting pads, 25 thigh pads, one bat grip, 42 pairs of batting gloves, one pair of wicket-keeping pads and four pairs of wicket-keeping gloves.
Cricket-related items, used or new, are distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients. Talent spotting is being done across the country and club leaders also assist to identify same. Progressive and well managed cricket clubs with a youth program, will also benefit.