… Lasting bonds and friendships established through sports

MS CITA Pilgrim, Consul General of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in Barbados, has stated that participation in the just concluded Sir Garfield Under-19 schoolboys cricket tournament provided the young Guyanese players with an excellent opportunity to build lasting friendships.She delivered an address to members of the teams representing Queen’s College of Guyana, Electra Institute of Diamond, East Bank Demerara and New Amsterdam Multilateral at a reception at the consulate last Tuesday.

Also in attendance were players from Queen’s College of Barbados, several Queen’s College of Guyana ‘Old Boys’ resident in Barbados, former Barbados and West Indies opening batsman Cammie Smith and prominent Barbados Q.C and former Harrison College of Barbados old boy Vernon Smith.
Ms Pilgrim told the gathering that in tournaments such as the Sir Garfield Sobers competition, now in its 30th year, everyone is a winner, since the players gain valuable experience and meet players from other territories, thereby, establishing friendships for life.
The Consul General stated that the tournament also allowed the schoolboys to learn at a tender age the true meaning of being team players. She stated that participating in the tournament allowed the boys to understand the value of sports as part of their school activities.
Cammie Smith further emphasised how, through sports, friends for life are established. He told the gathering that he became friends with Australian Test player Richie Benaud on his first tour of Australia with the West Indies team. Smith said that since that day, he received a telephone call or a card on his birthday from him.
Vernon Smith in a brief address also told the gathering that he first met Mr Cecil Pilgrim, husband of the Consul General and a retired Ambassador for Guyana, in 1949 when Queen’s College visited Barbados to play a series against Harrison College. That friendship, he said, continued to the present.
This is the first time the Queen’s College team participated in the tournament. Team Manager Osafa Dos Santos was instrumental in their participation as he stated that he had accompanied another Guyanese schoolboys team, and since being associated with QC, he felt that it was an excellent opportunity for the boys in the development of their game.
He said that although the players have not been playing as much cricket as he would have liked, due to examinations and the state of the playing field, they gave a good account of themselves. QC won one game, drew two and lost two games.