GCB launches GTM inter county U-19 tournaments

Apr 20, 2013 Sports

By Zaheer Mohamed
The Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Fire and Life Insurance Company (GTM) has once again sponsored the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) inter county U-19 tournaments. The company presented a cheque for $3,875,000 million to the GCB at the launching which took place yesterday at the

GTM Group Marketing Officer, Yasmin Bowman hands over the sponsorship cheque to Secretary of the GCB, Anand Sanasie in the presence of other officials from the GCB and GTM

GTM head office in Georgetown.
This year, the GCB has included a President’s X1, increasing the number of teams to four. The competition which began in 1976 is of tremendous importance to the GCB as it being used by the junior Selectors to select the Guyana team for West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) Regional Under-19 competition later this year.
This is the largest sponsorship by GTM in the 36-year-old history of the competition which has produced a number of Guyana and West Indies Test players.
Clyde Butts and Neil McGarrell are the only two Guyanese in the last three decades to play Test cricket without taking part in the GTM competition.
Guyana’s premier youth cricket tournament started as a 3-Day competition, but a One-Day tournament has been included after the introduction of a Regional Under-19 limited overs series to complement the Three-Day version which began in 1999 in Barbados.
At a simple ceremony, Secretary of the GCB, Anand Sanasie thanked GTM for their solid support over the years. He noted that despite the absence of 2012, GTM is one of the most successful and devoted sponsors over the years.
Sanasie also spoke of the effectiveness of the annual GTM Under-19 Inter-County tournaments.
“The bulk of our players normally pass through GTM competitions, it is very useful since it is one that builds the cricketers,” he added.
Speaking at the ceremony, General Manager of the company, Roger Yee said that he was pleased to continue the relationship between the GCB and GTM.
“We at GTM are very pleased to be associated with the GCB in this venture for the past three decades. We have been looking on from the outside and the progress made by some of the players who participated in this competition is worth mentioning.
We are pleased to be connected with a competition that is efficiently run by the GCB where the likes of Carl Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan just to name a few have excelled,” Yee said.
The first round is set for the Wales Community Centre ground and Everest Cricket Club ground from Wednesday April 24-26 when Essequibo clash with Demerara and the President’s X1 oppose Berbice.
The second round will be played from Sunday April 28th -30th with Berbice playing Essequibo at the Demerara Cricket Club ground and Demerara taking on the President’s X1 at Enmore Community Centre ground.
In the final round of the Three-Day competition which is scheduled for May 2nd -4th will see Demerara doing battle with Berbice at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, while the President’s X1 will face Essequibo at the Everest Cricket Club ground.
The One-Day tournament bowls off on May 6th with the President’s X1 challenging Essequibo at Everest Cricket Club ground and Berbice clashing with Demerara at Albion Sports Complex.
In round two scheduled for May 8th, Berbice will take on the President’s X1 at the Demerara Cricket Club ground, while Essequibo entertains Demerara at Georgetown Cricket Club ground.
In the final round on May 10, Essequibo and Berbice will clash at the Imam Bacchus ground, Affiance Essequibo, while the President’s X1 plays Demerara at Wales Community Centre ground. The final is set for May 12th at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Bourda.