On Saturday (November 10) at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, the Jay and Sylvia Sobhraj Foundation, also known as the Zara Donor team, donated several pieces of sport equipment to the National Sport Commission, the East Bank Football Association, the East Coast Cricket Committee and the Ambitious Future Leaders of Albouystown/Charlestown.
The items consisted of cricket gear, basketballs, footballs and badminton gear, valued at approximately US$1 million, the organisation said.
At the simple handing over ceremony, founder and philanthropist, Jay Sobhraj, in brief remarks, stated that the foundation is pleased to assist Guyanese within the sporting fraternity and will continue to support. Sobhraj believes that a healthy mind is important, but also having an active and fit lifestyle should be priority.
This is the second sport donation to the Guyanese community, the first was made in April 2018 to the Guyana Police Force.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Dr. Colin Roach, not only thanked the foundation for its hearty contribution, but said the donations will enhance the sport community throughout Guyana. He then wished the organisation success in the years ahead.
Meanwhile, Vice-Chairman of the National Sport Commission, Trevor Williams, stressed that equipment is a necessary resource for Guyana’s development. He said huge donations, like today’s presentation, make groups more prepared for international competitions.
“These tools will bring out the unknown talents you would not have known or otherwise seen,” Williams said.
Secretary of the East Bank Football Association, Wayne Francois, expressed gratitude to the foundation and noted that a large or small donation will always make a difference in a person’s life.
The Jay and Sylvia Sobhraj Foundation comprises of four overseas-based Guyanese, namely founders Jay and Sylvia Sobhraj, Information Technologist, Nardeo Singh and businessman, Sarvan Budhu.
Known for their work within the Information Communications and Technology sector, the foundation has established three state of the art computer centres, in partnership with the Guyana Police Force to offer free computer classes to the Guyanese public and one state-of-the-art Cyber Security Centre.
Also, earlier this year in April, the foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Guyana valued G$80 million to establish Jay and Sylvia Sobhraj Centre for Behavioural Studies and Research at the University of Guyana.
