Multi-talented Afruica Gentle gets US University Scholarship Aims to join trio of cricketers who played 2 Sports at Snr level

May 10, 2020 Sports

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By Sean Devers

Nineteen-year-old Lawn Tennis player and National Female Cricketer Afruica Gentle has been awarded a scholarship at the Coppin State University in the United States of America.
The four-year scholarship is for sports and academics and Afruica will be Majoring in Criminal Justice and Safety Studies and Minor is Urban Recreation.

The versatile Athlete, who attended the Apex Education and Mae’s School, was scheduled to start University this fall but due to the COVID-19 Virus, she will have to wait until the pandemic over.
“My aim in tennis presently is to improve my game further and play tennis at the Collegiate level where I can represent myself, my family and also make my country and all the people that have been behind me proud,” Afruica disclosed.
She is aware that studying and focusing on Sports will be a challenge and does not intend to forsake her Cricket although cricket is not played at the Coppin State University.
“I know it will not be easy being a student-athlete at University but with determination, dedication and discipline I will push myself and yes, I will continue playing cricket as I am in constant contact with the USA Junior Cricket Coach Linden Frazer. Securing a sound education while playing tennis is the right path for me,” said Afruica, who was born on March 4th 2001 to Oneil and Roxanne Gentle.
The youngest of three siblings, Afruica grew up in Goedverwagting East Coast Demerara and revealed that the pandemic has affected her training because she cannot train as much as she wants to.
“I am currently doing Zoom workouts with the Guyana Jaguars men’s cricket team hosted by Neil Barry the team’s physiotherapist/trainer daily.
In terms of my life it has not affected it in a major way but it has afforded me a lot of free time so I spend it with my family.

I would say to all Guyanese we should all adhere to the rules and guidelines and stay inside unless you have something very urgent to do outdoors,” said the former National Junior Tennis Champion.
While she has not represented Guyana in Tennis or Cricket at the senior level (she was in the Guyana Senior squad but did not play any game in the Regional Women’s cricket tournament) she has hopes of representing her Country in both Sports at the senior level.
Many women have played more than one sport for Guyana at the Senior level including former National cricketers Margaret ‘Chico’ Walcott who was a Boxer, Dianne Ferreira- James who

captained Guyana in both cricket and football and Elizabeth Alphonso who played cricket and Hockey.
Walcott, who was selected for the West Indies Women’s team in the 1970s, fought in 11 fights between 1999 and 2011, while Ferreira-James, who was appointed a FIFA referee in June 1999, led Guyana Women’s Football team for the first time in 1995 against Barbados and T&T.
A fast bowler, Ferreira-James had a five-wicket haul when she captained Guyana in the 2003 Regional Women’s Cricket Tournament in Grenada. Ferreira-James was also a track Athlete at the Police Sports Club.
Alphonso played cricket for Guyana from 1977 to 1980 and played Hockey for GCC and Guyana during the same period.

“I got involved in tennis because my older sister Shawna Gentle was playing tennis and I would go every day as a young child with my father to pick her up and that’s where my love for the sport began, so finally when I turned four I started to play,” informed Afruica.
Her first tournament was the Le Meridian Pegasus Tennis Tournament where she won the Girls U-12 title.
“I was a member of Park Players/ Sheltez Tennis club, training under Coach Shelly Daly but moved to Roraima Tennis Clubin 2016, training with Coach Dexter Lewis and Rebecca Mitchell,” said Afruica, who played in the Antigua and Barbuda Invitational, ITF U-12 Development Tournament, Inter Guiana Games, ITF Circuit Tournament Jamaica, Blue Mountain International Tournament Jamaica and GBTI Open Tournament.
In the GBTI Open, Afruica teamed up with Gavin Lewis to win the Mixed Doubles title and with Christie Campbell to take the Women’s Doubles title.
No longer a junior, Afruica said there is a big gap locally between the junior and senior level because there is not enough competition at both levels.
“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to lift the standard of local Tennis and as much as the coaches do their part to help the player to be on top of his or her game, dedication, determination and discipline will need to be a priority for the player,” said Afruica.
She noted that her main challenge playing tennis in Guyana was not being able to play enough tournaments and having enough competition.
“It was particularly hard in the area of studies because I would have training either sometimes in the morning or in the afternoon and after training I had school or lessons and that would finish late at night. When I got home I still had a lot of work to be done and it was a repeat of that every day,” she added.
The big hitting right-handed batsman who bowls left-arm spin got involved in cricket by playing Windball Cricket.
“I got in contact with Essequibo Head Coach Ryan Hercules and played in a U-17 tournament in which I did extremely well,” said Afruica who informed that she enjoys both Sports because they both make her happy.
“The standard of local Crickets at the junior level is not too bad but players would be at their best if there is an all year-round training programme,” said Afruica who trains the Police Sports Club.
The powerful batsman caught the eyes of the National Selectors after a dominant performance in the National Secondary Schools female cricket competition in which she plundered close to 450 runs including the tournament’s lone century.
She, however, feels not enough is being done to improve female Sports in Guyana.
“My suggestion would be that more emphasis be placed in sports facilities and then in the athletes, because the thing is Guyana is blessed with a lot of talented athletes with potential to do great things for this country.
But they are not highlighted enough and given enough support such as sponsorship so they are left here without any avenues to get their talent showcased regionally and internationally,” the teenager lamented.
“I do not know what the future holds but what I can say is that I will be giving back to my country in the area of sports,” noted Afruica, who had a message for the Athletes.
“The journey to success is not an easy one, the amounts of failure, disappointments, injuries will make you want to quit but what makes a great athlete is the determination to push through all of the obstacles that you may face and to never give up on your dreams because if you work hard enough one day they will come to pass,” Afruica concluded.

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