Windball cricket has returned to the National Gymnasium with the 28th annual school tournament, which is being held in collaboration with the National Sports Commission and the Forbes Burnham Foundation.
Several schools from Georgetown, East Coast Demerara, East Bank Demerara and Region Three will contest the Under-19 tournament, which caters for both boys and girls.
At the opening ceremony held Monday morning, Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, told the gathering of how proud they should be about participating in the tournament and advocated they live a healthy lifestyle.
“The reason why the National Sports Commission lends support to this tournament every year is because of the emphasis that was placed on the development of young people as it relates to sport by the former president Forbes Burnham. He recognised you cannot only have a student that is rounded academically, but of course you wanted to be rounded young people as it relates to sport,” Jones related.
Vincent Alexander, Chairman of the Burnham Foundation, outlined the impact former President Forbes Burnham had on Guyana and urged the students to play their best.
“He [Forbes Burnham] was a lover of sports; he did a lot to promote sports and therefore we think that sports is one of the fitting ways to commemorate his life and his contribution to this place we call Guyana,” Alexander explained.
In 2018, Mae’s School topped the girls’ division. The top three in the final points standings were Mae’s 135, Carmel Secondary 133 and East Ruimveldt Secondary 91.
Player of the tournament (Bat & Ball) was Afruica Gentle of Mae’s. Patentia Secondary won the boys segment when they defeated Charlestown.
The tournament is set to conclude on March 3 and is held in memory of the 96th birth anniversary of Guyana’s first Executive President.
