“IVAN Madray was not only my uncle but he was my cricketing idol and mentor. It is a special privilege for me to honour his memory with this tournament and also to open opportunities for the younger generation to follow in his footsteps”.
Those were the words of General Manager of Muneshwer’s Group, Mr. Chandradat Chintamani, as he launched the ninth edition of the annual Ivan Madray T20 Cricket Tournament in partnership with the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB).
The simple renewal took place last Thursday at Mr. Chintamani’s office in Water Street and was attended by BCB President Dr. Cecil Beharry and officials Balram Samaroo and Angela Haniff.
Chintamani stated that he was very pleased with the BCB’s organising skills of the last eight tournaments and the high standard of play.
BCB President Dr. Cecil Beharry hailed the renewal of the sponsorship as another red-letter day in the ongoing development of cricket in Berbice.
The tournament would be played on a knock-out basis with twelve teams participating. The teams involved are West Berbice, Blairmont, Police, Tucber Park, Rose Hall Canje, Berbice River, Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt, Albion Community Centre, Port Mourant, Skeldon, and Upper Corentyne.
The BCB President stated that the winner will be decided in a grand final and the winning prize stands at $100,000 and a trophy.
Matches will be held across Berbice with venues like the Canje Welfare Centre Ground, Albion Community Centre Ground, Area “H” Ground, Port Mourant Ground and No. 69 Ground.
The final will either be played at the No. 69 Ground or the Albion Community Centre Ground depending on which teams face off in the final match.
BCB Competitions Committee Member Balram Samaroo disclosed that the board was totally dedicated to playing the game at all levels.
Samaroo noted that financial sponsorship has been secured for every level of cricket, for both junior and seniors, including females.
BCB Office Administrator Angela Haniff assured the sponsor that the tournament will be well organised and completed by the end of August, 2026.
Ivan Madray was the third Berbician to play Test cricket for the West Indies, following in the footsteps of his Port Mourant Club mates John Trim and the legendary Rohan Kanhai.
He died in 2009 at the age of 74