Sports Minister opens Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence

Apr 22, 2010 Sports

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Says GCB’s good image has been tainted by internal problems

By Sean Devers

The much needed indoor cricket facility and Hostel was finally opened yesterday by Guyana’s Sports Minister Dr Frank Anthony at the LBI ground and named after Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) President Chetram Singh.
In a well-organized ceremony which was also attended by the entire GCB executive, Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, former Chancellor of the judiciary Cecil Kennard, Guyana Olympic Association head K Juman Yassin and Director of Sports Neil Kumar, Singh, the GCB top man since 1991, told the gathering of the importance of the facility to Guyana’s cricket development.
The longest serving Director on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Singh said that while such a facility was what everyone wanted, cost and location were factors which prevented it from being completed sooner.
Singh spoke of the early days when out-of-town players would have to stay, sometimes in pairs, at various guest houses when they traveled to the city for cricket. “Dr Ali Shaw and Butcher Bacchus would accommodate players at their homes. The GCB used the Woodbine Hotel in the 1970s while the Water Chris Hotel was used in the 1980s before Hotel Glow was used in the early 1990s,” Singh informed.

Singh, giving a background to the construction of the 17-room hostel which also includes a gym, a kitchen and an indoor practice nets area equipped with lights, said that in 1999 the GCB decided to rent a building but realised that because of the cost they had to find a facility that was good enough to be upgraded.
“We were given land behind the (Cliff Anderson) Sports Hall by the Ministry but all things did not work out there. Negotiations began with Guysuco after the 2007 World Cup since we (GCB) had acquired the funds from the World Cup to construct a proper facility. It was not easy but today it’s a reality and this Hostel will play a major role in reducing the cost of accommodation for players which could not be channeled into cricket development,” Singh revealed with pride.
Singh also said that because the West Indies cricket Calendar is now ram-packed all year round and usually there is plenty of rain before both Guyana’s youth and senior teams commence preparations for Regional tournaments, the indoor nets, which has two synthetic pitches and will be equipped with a bowling machine, should play a big role in producing better prepared Guyana players and better results.
He said that in the 1980 and ‘90s Guyana teams had to resort to practice on various tarmacs due to the flooded condition of grounds due to rain.
Singh, who took over from Major General retired Norman McLean as GCB President, added that cricket and sugar go a long way back. About 50% of the players and coaches have come through the Sugar estate system, especially in the early days and it is fitting that this facility is on a Guysuco ground,” Singh concluded.
GCB’s Public Relations Officer Terry Holder, the second longest serving GCB executive, performed duties of Master of Ceremonies and lauded the sugar industry in Guyana for their contribution to cricket.
Holder said sixty years ago Bookers made the decision to help develop cricket in the sugar estates, adding that few would have predicted the tremendous importance of that decision. Kanhai, Butcher, Solomon, Ivan Madray all burst onto the scene during the 1960s around the time when Bookers brought Bajan Sir Clyde Walcott to British Guiana to Coach and spot talent.
Holder said that Guysuco took Booker’s place when that entity was nationalized and continued to demonstrate over the years that they are a good corporate citizen with Guysuco being GCB’s main benefactor. Holder described yesterday’s ceremony as a ‘most tangible contribution’ to the GCB and expressed sincerest gratitude to the staff, executives and the person who makes the politician decisions; Minister Robert Persaud.
Persaud commended the GCB for establishing an important facility and said that Singh is a stalwart. He added that it was wonderful that the facility be named the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence in his honour.
“As a Government we have talked about climate change. Guysuco has to spend millions to deal with climate change which it did not have to do in the past. Guysuco has experienced several difficulties which have affected the industry and their contribution to cricket. They spend $80 Million per annum for their nine facilities including the one at LBI and it is now important that Guysuco finds ways to partner with the GCB for the development of local cricket,” Persaud stated.
The Minister said the LBI facility should allow the players to be properly prepared and be accommodated in an environment where they can focus on their cricket and not on other distractions that could affect their preparations if they stayed at various hotels as they did in the past.
“Sports is very important! But Guysuco and Government, as a shareholder have to devise ways to continue to support sports with their depleted finances. Today is a great example. This ground was being underused and costing Guysuco millions to maintain and now that the facility has been handed over to the GCB everyone should benefit,” Persaud said.
Persaud said this is the new type of role Guysuco can play.
“This is a community and national facility and it hurts to see it being under-utilized. Whatever proposals are put on the table from sporting bodies for Guysuco’s venues will receive serious consideration,” Persaud said.
Sports Minister Dr Anthony said the facility was a dream come true for GCB and that he would like to see the Board optimize the facility. “Cricket in Guyana has a very long tradition and has always been with us. That is what makes us Guyanese. Cricket and sugar has a close link….the investment in training facilities and coaching on the sugar estates has helped Guyana’s cricket development in a big way,” Dr Anthony said.
“Despite the challenges Guysuco is experiencing I hope they continue to play a role. I want to see the GCB have a more comprehensive plan and this Centre of Excellence is a start,” Dr Anthony said.
“I am pleased that the GCB has employed a technical person to analyze videos of the players since it believes that in the 21st century talent alone cannot guarantee success without the use of technology,” the Minister said.
The Minister lamented that the bad press for the GCB over the last few weeks has tainted its image and charged the executives to find solutions for their problems which are affecting Guyana’s cricket. “The GCB was one of the organisations that provided a great example among local sporting bodies but unfortunately over the last few weeks that image has been tainted by problems at the highest level. This is not any other game….this is the national sport of Guyana,” Dr Anthony said.
He said that cricket is a gentleman’s game and wants to see gentleman’s behavior among the GCB executives. “We have to work a bit harder to fix the problems if we want to set an example for the young cricketers,” Dr Anthony told the GCB executive who have recently been divided into two factions and have been caught in a public fight for power.
The LBI facility is among the best in the region and should go a long way towards reviving Guyana’s cricket fortunes.

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