Tenelec Inc. of Washington, USA, has once again renewed its sponsorship of the Berbice Cricket Board’s (BCB) two innings, Under-15, Inter-club and first division 50-over round-robin cricket competitions in the Ancient County.
In his opening remarks at the launch recently, Anil Beharry, President of the BCB, thanked Bobby Deonarine and Tom Gruntzel of Tenelec Inc., a company based in Washington, for their continued support to the BCB. He added that this company has been providing vital support for the board for over a decade and is a major player in the success of Berbice cricket.
He said that all the Berbicians currently representing the West Indies, Guyana and Berbice are products of these competitions, making special mention of Narsingh Deonarine, Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Assad Fudadin, Brandon Bess, Keon Joseph, Royston Crandon, Shimron Hetmyer and Gudakesh Motie among many others.
He closed by saying that while the BCB is in favour of the national league, he called on the GCB to bring back the Inter-county senior cricket competition, emphasising that it is the pinnacle of the career of any local cricketer that doesn’t make the national team.
Vice-President of BCB and Human Resource Manager of GuySuCo (Albion Estate), Vemen Walter, spoke of the importance of human resource in the success of businesses and private individuals. He urged the gathering, made up of many young and aspiring cricketers, to make full use of this opportunity provided by the board through this sponsorship.
He advised them to be disciplined, work hard and commit themselves to the game. He further mentioned that even those who do not make it to the top, can still lead a comfortable life financially.
Imtiaz Bacchus, member of BCB and president of Albion Cricket Club, expressed his gratitude to the sponsors and reminded the gathering that the most important facet of the game is sponsorship.
Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board and Director of the West Indies Cricket Board, Anand Sanasie, graced the occasion and commended the BCB for securing such a significant sponsorship during these times when sponsors are hard to come by. He stated that the BCB has to be doing something good to impress their sponsors, forging long lasting partnerships.
He also thanked Bobby Deonarine for his continued input into the game in Berbice giving many youngsters an opportunity to change their lives for good. He promised that very soon the GCB will build a modern hostel, indoor facility and board office in Berbice to benefit all.
In response, Deonarine, a partner of Tenelec Inc., who was short in his speech, praised the work of the BCB and expressed the confidence his company has in the work of the board. He said that he is happy that he can make a difference in the lives of his fellow human being and sponsoring this lovely game in his county of birth is a perfect way to do so.
First Vice-President of the BCB, former international umpire Dhireindranath Somwaru did the vote of thanks and thanked the management and staff of GuySuCo’s Albion Estate for making the venue readily available, the media for their excellent coverage of all BCB cricket competitions and other related activities and most of all, Tenelec Inc. for their sponsorship.
Photo caption: Bobby Deonarine (third right) hands over the sponsorship cheque to Anil Beharry, President of the BCB, in the presence of other board members and representatives of the GCB
