Sparks could fly at next Friday’s DCB OGM

Nov 27, 2009 Sports

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Singh retaliates as Motion to oust him goes public

By Sean Devers
Sparks could fly at the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) which is set for next Friday.
A no-confidence motion against the President of the East Coast and the Demerara Cricket Boards Bissoon Singh, which has been signed by the 3 Presidents of the DCB Sub Associations (Georgetown Cricket Association, East Bank Cricket Association and West Demerara Cricket Association) calls upon the present DCB executive to demit office and an interim committee be named at Friday’s OGM to serve until the next DCB Annual General Elections.
Singh and his executive are accused of among other things, doing little to promote the aims and objectives of the DCB, especially in respect of Article 3 (1), (2), (3) and (4) of the DCB’s Constitution.
According to the motion which was moved by EBCA President Rohan Sarjoo, seconded by GCA Head Alfred Mentore and supported by WDCA top man Anand Sanasi,
“The president’s unilateral actions have caused the board to be subjected to a pending court action from Mr. Travis Dowlin. Through his mismanagement, he has wasted $100 000 of the Board’s funds, acquired through donations, on an attorney who has now become incommunicado. The Board is now saddled with the costs of hiring another attorney at twice the above cost to represent them in this matter.”
The executive committee’s failure to commence an important, sponsored three-day first division competition resulted in the DCB losing G$1.5M in scarce sponsorship funds and, with three- day cricket been identified as a way forward in developing our cricketers, this sponsorship was seen as very pivotal in arresting the decline of cricket development in Demerara and further afield”
The DCB executive is also accused of ‘the deliberate flouting of policy decisions of the DCB’s executive which dealt with executives being appointed to manage/coach/select representative teams of Demerara and which conflict their roles and responsibilities as members of the executive”
Yesterday Singh, a Vice-President of the Guyana Cricket Board retaliated by saying that he was shocked by the Motion since he claims that the three persons who signed it are all sitting members of the DCB and according to him, at no time was any of their concerns raised at any DCB meeting.
Singh said while he could not comment on the Dowlin issue because the matter was presently before the Court, he explained that the money for the lawyer’s fee was specifically donated for that by DCB members.
“When everything is out people will see who started the allegations” Singh added.
He also said that it was true that a major sponsor had ‘taken back their money because we could not launch the 3-day competition’ but added that the reason for this was the unavailability of grounds at that time since a regional tournament was being played in Guyana and the GCA were playing a 3-day competition at the same time. The GCB has subsequently started their National 3-day competition.
Singh stressed that there was nothing in the DCB constitution that prevented Executives from being appointed Managers or Coaches and feels that cricket politics is the main reason he is being targeted.
It seems that there has been a fall out between two former allies on the DCB and Singh thinks a decision he made regarding a DCB Vice-President at the GCB level has triggered the plan to remove him from his position and has very little to do with the cricket.
When contacted, Executives of all of the DCB Sub Associations except the ECCA, claims that not enough is happening to develop the game in Guyana’s second largest county while several cricket pundits feel that ambition for position and power is more important to many present cricket administrators than their desire to see the game improve and the players develop.
Singh says he has sacrificed a lot to help cricket and informed that he intends to talk to Mentore and Sarjoo about the matter before next Friday.
Singh said several unprecedented things were happening under his DCB leadership including the staging of a second division final under lights, but Demerara’s cricket on the field is at its lowest in recent times and the selection of Demerara teams are almost scandalous with players likes of Vishal Singh, Derwin Christian and Deon Ferrier all national players being ignored for the Demerara team, which finished 3rd in the recent senior 4-team GCB 4-day competition.
Several DCC players were initially against playing the 2nd division final against hosts Lusignan under lights, which were not approved for ‘proper official cricket’ but it is understood that Mentore, who is also the President of DCC, was not in the country at that time and had not seen the lights, agreed to play the match.
“The ambition to become DCB and GCB Presidents by some on the DCB is badly affecting how they interact with fellow board members and is not doing any good for the cricket,” a local cricket official opined.
Another said that personal attacks and low blows seem to be the norm now at Cricket Board meetings with 2 senior officials almost coming to blows at a recent GCB meeting.
With Chetram Singh, who seems either unable or unwilling to get his Board members to work together and to stand up for what is right, irrespective of the persons involved, the race is heating up for his position at the GCB elections in 2011 and there is even talk in the Cricket fraternity that the longest serving WICB Director might be even hard pressed to survive as GCB President until then.
While the cricket continues to suffer, the battle lines are drawn and next Friday’s DCB meeting should not be without fireworks.

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