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US-based Guyanese brings Christmas cheer to GYO club
Premchand Singh makes a token presentation of a bat to GYO Coach Clive Grimmond as club President Khemraj Ramjattan (wearing Tie) and GYO executives and youth players share the moment yesterday.
By Sean Devers
It’s the season of goodwill and yesterday New York based Guyanese Premchand Singh brought Christmas cheer to the members of the Gandhi Youth Organization (GYO) Cricket Club with a donation of $100,000 and cricket gear to be used in the 2011 local season.
Singh, who left Guyana in 1968, is not one to wait until Christmas to share and care. He has been sponsoring a scholarship programme for under-privileged children in West Demerara which involves 13 schools since 1974 when he first returned to his homeland.
The garrulous Singh, who owns the Seven Star Fuel Company in the United States, is home on holiday and his generous gesture yesterday was in response to a request from GYO President Khemraj Ramjattan for assistance of gear from the Woolford Avenue club in Georgetown.
Singh is a lover of cricket and his club (7-Star Cricket Club) participates in premier division of the New York Cricket league which he said has 66 teams in three divisions.
The New Yorker said that yesterday’s contribution was a down payment on things to come for GYO and disclosed that former National players like the Etwaroo brothers (Tyrone and Romaine) passed through his club while former Guyana One-Day player Vejai Sewnarine is a present member of the team which former Guyana and West Indies ‘B’ team Keeper Kenneth Wong played for.
Bats, batting and wicketkeeping pads and gloves along with balls were presented to the club which plays youth and 2nd division cricket in the GCA competitions and Singh told the many youths present that the key to success is determination.
“I began with a hundred dollar bill and an old TV on my desk and now I own a multi million dollar business but I worked hard was determined to succeed despite the odds,” Singh informed the gathering which included Ramjattan, GYO Vice-President Frank DeAbreu, Secretary JA Persaud, Treasurer Khalil Amahad and club Coach Clive Grimmond.
Ramjattan, also a leading political figure in Guyana, thanked Singh for his contribution and said that his friend for over two decades is known for his work with charities adding that he sponsors several Guyanese cricketers and loves cricket.
“I was at a wedding in New York a few months ago and I told Prem my club needed some gear and now he has come to deliver our Christmas gift.
We (GYO) have benefited from tremendous support this year and our all weather concrete pitches and nets is now completed while we got a Lawn Mower and is one of the few clubs to have a full time qualified coach in Clive Grimmond,” Ramjattan announced.
Ramjattan said that for Guyana and West Indies cricket to get back to the glory days of the 1980s, work has to be done from the bottom up and feels that if better facilities, gear and players are available at the club level this will affect what happens at a higher level since the club structure is the nursery that produces First-Class and Test players.
DeAbreu commended Singh for presenting the club quality gear and not using the opportunity for the camera by handing over sub-standard items like some others do and promised to ensure that the gear is properly taken care of.
“Uncle Prem could have gone on a cruise or he could have done other things but he took his money to get this (cricket gear) for our club and we must care it so that next if we get more we will have two sets instead of just one if we destroyed what have gotten today,” DeAbreu told the youths, who were each presented with a monetary Christmas gift by Singh.
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