Four teams will contest the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/Dave West Indian Imports and Exports Under-15 Inter-County tournament, starting February 16.
The 50-over competition, sponsored by overseas-based Guyanese businessman Dave Narine for the fifth year, will feature Berbice, Demerara, Essequibo and a GCB President’s XI.
The two teams with the most points at the end of the preliminary round will clash in the final, billed for February 22.
The competition was officially launched on Monday in the boardroom of the GCB on Regent Street, Bourda, where key officials of the board and the sponsor offered brief remarks.
Territorial Development Officer, Colin Stuart, said the sponsorship has significantly helped the GCB and its affiliates to develop and promote cricketers at the Under-15 level.
Stuart posited that while there are a number of considerations for selection, the GCB continues to use player performance in this tournament as the main criteria for selection to the national Under-15 team.
GCB Secretary Anand Sanasie thanked Narine and his company for the sponsorship, noting that through the alliance Guyana was able to produce the likes of Mavindra Dindyal, Rampertab Ramnauth and Isai Thorne, who all represented the West Indies Under-15 team.
Narine spoke of his passion for youth empowerment and the joy he gets from seeing players being transformed from virtual unknowns to be recognised nationally, regionally and internationally.
He also expressed an interest in offering additional assistance to the Board, beyond the Under-15 tournament.
