Guyana U-19 cricket team presented with gear and cash

Jul 15, 2008 Sports

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Guyanese Doctor challenges players to make their countrymen proud

If winning the TCL Group three-day regional under-19 cricket title for a third consecutive year was not enough motivation for the Guyana under-19 cricket team presently in Barbados, the challenge by a Guyanese Doctor based in Barbados should provide added incentive for the players to retain their title.

Since in the 1970s, Guyana cricket teams visiting Barbados have been special guest to Guyanese Doctor Puran Singh and his family at their home for a dinner and ‘lime’ this year has been no different.

After hosting the Guyana First-Class team earlier this year, the Guyana under-19 side spent most of last Saturday evening at the Doctors home and received three bats, a pair of pads and cash from a group of Guyanese after enjoying a ‘Guyanese’ dinner.

Guyana top the points standing after two rounds and Dr Singh challenged the youths to work hard, be committed and make their countrymen proud as they aim to return home with the coveted TCL trophies.

“Many of you will want to make cricket a career and if you do you must be prepared to work hard on improving your game and showing commitment to what you do. Fourteen of you have been picked to represent your country here but each of the other teams has 14 players who are all hoping to make it to the West Indies side. Only 14 will be chosen and if you want to be among those chosen you must work for it,” Dr Singh said.

He added that since in the 1970s when Alvin Kallicharran and his Guyana teammates played in Barbados to this year when the Ramnaresh Sarwan led Guyana side was on the 166-sqaure Mile Island, the players have been guest at his home.

“I have lived outside of Guyana for many years but I will always be Guyanese. I have had Shiv (Chanderpaul), King, McGarrell, Deonarine, Sarwan, Nagamootoo…..all of these guys have been here when Guyana played in Barbados as youth players before going on to play for the West Indies. There are many Guyanese living outside of Guyana and when our cricket team does well we are so proud. I challenge you to try your best to win this title again and make your countrymen proud,” Dr Singh told the youngsters.

Guyana Manager Alvin Johnson was at his eloquent best as he delivered a passionate thank you speech on behalf of his team.

Johnson, a Head Master by profession and a Guyana Cricket Board Vice-President, informed that Dr Singh had presented the cricket gear and cash to the team and promised to repay him by winning both three-day and one-day titles.

“The bats and pair of pads will be used by the team during this competition but we will give them to the most outstanding players at the end of the series. The money will be used by the team here in Barbados and we must thank all of those who contributed to making us feel so comfortable this evening,” Johnson said.

“Because we have won the TCL trophy for two consecutive years we were told that it now belongs to us so we plan to return home with three trophies this year. We have never won the one-day title and we intend to win both the three-day and limited over trophies. What we have experienced today from our fellow Guyanese make us even more determined to keep the Golden Arrow head flying proudly,” Johnson disclosed.

Johnson said that this was the first time he had met Dr Singh but assured the Guyanese medical practitioner that the GCB is fully aware of his contribution to Guyana teams competing in Barbados through the reports of the senior team Manager Carl Moore, who was also the youth team Manager when the under-19 tournament was last played in Barbados nine years ago.

The team was given the day off on Saturday and practiced Sunday prior to facing host Barbados in their third round game from yesterday. The team is a very united group and Coach Hubern Evans said that after two wins, team spirit and confidence is high going into the third round.

Skipper Eugene La Fleur has been an excellent leader so far both on and off the field and feels that despite their inconsistent batting, his team has the talent to retain their title.

“We have not batted all that well but our bowlers have done a great job and the team is very close and working hard to do well. I believe that if we can beat Barbados, who is second to us on points, we should go on to win the title. We are taking one game at a time and while we do not underestimate anyone we are backing ourselves to get the job done,” La Fleur, one of five players back from last year’s team, said.

“Not everyone has performed as yet but as a team we are pleased with the victories and the Coach and Manager is working hard to ensure that we stay on top,” the little left-hander from Berbice said.

Meanwhile, the team, which moved from the UWI Campus at the start of the competition to the Grand Barbados Hotel because of the standard of accommodation at Cave Hill, was forced to move out again yesterday before their 14:00hrs practice session.

“All of the team moved from the University Campus and while we are very comfortable at the Grand Barbados Hotel we will have to move to another hotel for eight days before returning to the Grand Barbados. We (all of the teams) were told that because we should have been at UWI, the Grand Barbados had made a prior booking for this week which means we had to move again. While this could be a bit tiresome we are staying positive and focusing on our mission to return to Guyana as champions once again,” Johnson explained.

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