In search of Sports in the Sugar Industry

Mar 10, 2023 Letters

Dear Editor,

Some weeks ago, the Berbice Cricket Management sought to find out more about their high achieving representatives, mostly at national and international levels.

With regard to the latter, there was ready recollection of Kanhai, Solomon, Butcher and Roy Fredericks amongst several others, so many of whom emerged from the productive days of Estate Community Centres (and Girls’ Clubs), where football, table tennis (and drama) thrived, along with athletics.

But the identification of sports in and of the sugar industry has long fizzled out. From this distance, it is unclear what sporting competitions are encouraged by the current management of GuySuCo. As a young Blairmont Estate Personnel Manager, I recall competing with a long queue at the Community Centre of table tennis enthusiasts including teenager Raikha Tiwari and older Roy Fredericks, both of whom were selected for the national team to represent British Guiana. While the late Roy Fredericks has been remembered for his heroics for the West Indies against Australia, it was Joe Solomon of Port Mourant whose throw to the stumps won the historic test match; then went on with Kanhai, his village mate to forge other historic wins for the West Indies, along with Basil Butcher, another villager.

Meanwhile this writer’s relationship has continued since the Blairmont Estate days with Raikha, who is now Dr. Raikha Bisnauth, ensconced in the United Kingdom for the past six decades.

The above apart, how many of past sugar employees recall the days when visiting English test teams included in their schedule contests at Skeldon, Albion, Rose Hall (where Willie Watson and Tom Graveney had an opening partnership of over two hundred runs) and Blairmont.

But how could one possibly forget the Saturday nights indoor sports interactions between estate senior staff (and their spouses) at respective staff clubs, where we learnt more about being partners and human beings. It was BSE’s Chairman Edgar Readwin, the national lawn tennis champion (except when host to Ian McDonald then Company Secretary) who insisted that the Head Office should organise a multiple sports team to visit and compete with each of the eight estates on weekends, with Skeldon specially scheduled for the scarce occasion when Monday was a holiday.

Incidentally, the staff there were known for its annual tennis competition with Suriname (Dutch Guiana). Head Office secretaries were included to participate in evening indoor games, of course along with the Chairman, who during the day was also wicket keeper at cricket and ‘goalie’ at football.

Not only did the estates select their strongest teams from amongst every level of employee, but they also provided the umpires. Actually, there was an incident involving the same umpire giving the Chairman out in consecutive cricket matches at the same estate. Edgar Readwin raised his bat over his shoulder, stared at the familiar presence of the factory employee and enquired ‘are you still working for us?’ Of course, he did not mean it. It was just an indication of the comradery all experienced in those ‘playful’ days (and nights) even before the age of Community Centres.

There was this sense of comfort amongst all employees. Indeed, on reflection, it was very likely a precursor to ’Worker Participation’ – an environment which drew no protest from the several unions of the day. Now we all must ask about the incidence of sportsmanship on our estates; whether community Centres function and who operates them; do sugar workers play in and for them.

Perhaps the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports should intervene. Estates still employ other than ‘Contracted Employees’.

Regards,

E.B. John

Human Resources Director (Retired)

Guyana Sugar Corporation

Dr. Raikha Bisnauth, E.B. John, Guyana Sugar Corporation

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In search of Sports in the Sugar Industry

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