CWI/GCB Kiddy Cricket competition starts October 15

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) on Thursday afternoon launched the Guyana leg of Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) Kiddy Cricket competition with the aim of teaching the fundamentals of the game in a safe and enabling environment.

Once again, several key local agencies have partnered with the main coordinators to guarantee a well-rounded programme.

Delivering remarks at the event, Treasurer of the Guyana Cricket Board, Anand Kalladeen, said this year’s edition of the Kiddy Cricket seeks to build on the past efforts, as it is geared to stimulate interest in the game among primary school students.

Simultaneously, Kalladeen pointed out, it “will help the students to develop their motor skills, flexibility, agility and cardiovascular fitness.” He added that representative of 215 schools across Guyana will be taught the fundamental rules of the game, which encapsulate discipline and ethical considerations.

Lorraine Barker-King of the Ministry of Education lauded the use of teaching manuals to execute the programme, noting that it is a good tool as it integrates the core subjects English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.

“These are being done through the medium of cricket, so children can see the whole progression, because we do not like to teach things in isolation,” Barker-King said. “We are indeed pleased with this initiative and we trust that we will have many more collaborations.”

Orette Francois of the Child Care and Protection Agency lauded the other partners for their continued investment in youths, especially in seeking to ensure that cricket is taught to children in a manner that is free from abuse.

“This launch comes at a time in our country when we commemorate the week of Child Protection, which is an event that is set aside annually and is observed in over 120 countries worldwide. The main purpose of this national project is to heighten common awareness and the understanding of the importance of primary prevention and to reduce child neglect and abuse in our country by instilling the core principle that Child Protection is everybody’s business,” Francois told the gathering.

Seon Erskine of the National Sports Commission lauded the authors of the cricket manual for putting together a comprehensive document that captures every aspect of the curriculum.

“I’m saying these young ones are on the right path to developing even if it’s just this one sport for now. We truly hope that other sports would take on this role and try to have their discipline being gulfed into a package like this so that it can unfolded to our youths from a very early age,” Erskine related.

Erskine also used the opportunity to commend the various stakeholders for continuing to invest in the programme.

“These types of grassroot programmes are very essential for the growth and longevity in sports in our country and this what you have been doing over a number of years is tremendous. I say congratulation to you guys and I hope that you receive all of the resources necessary to continue such a programme.”

As part of this year’s programme, the Guyana Cricket Board will present 105 Child Care Protection manuals, as well as 400 Academic Manuals as supplemental for use in primary schools, to the Ministry of Education.

These teaching manuals have been developed through a collaborative effort of UNICEF, the Caribbean Examination Council and Cricket West Indies.

Further, 20 Kiddy Cricket kits will be presented to the Allied Arts department of the Ministry of Education. These kits are expected to assist teachers in delivering the practical aspect of the cricket syllabus.