The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) continues to push ahead with its developmental programmes despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought the sporting calendar to a standstill since March.
The Board recently handed over a piece of cricket gear to 13 youth cricketers across the county under the newly-established BCB Patron’s Fund.
BCB President Hilbert Foster stated that the Patron Fund Project was established immediately after the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, was inducted as the first Honourary Patron of the board on November 7.
The main objectives of the Patron Fund are to make sure that every talent in the county is allowed to develop by providing assistance wherever possible, to assist clubs to fulfill their mandates to membership and also to make sure that every cricketer in Berbice has opportunities to complete his/her academics.
Foster noted that in the past, too many young cricketers with great talent were forced to leave the sport due to the simple reason their parents were unable to stand the cost of gear needed to play the game.
Poverty, the BCB President stated, should not be the reason why youths drop out of the game as others can assist. He stated that once he remains the head of the board, every effort would be made to assist youth cricketers to fulfill their potentials on and off the cricket field.
Since February 2018, over 200 youth cricketers in the Ancient County has received cricket gear and bicycles from the BCB and the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), MS. Hundreds more have benefitted from donations of educational items, including school bags, footwear, exercise books and stationery.
The cricket gear shared out included bats, batting pads and batting gloves. The players were drawn from RHTY&SC, Albion, Port Mourant, Upper Corentyne, Edinburgh, Rose Hall Canje, Achievers and Bush Lot United.
The gear were donated to the BCB by Minister Bharrat, who also contributed G$1 million towards the hosting of the historic Berbice Semi-Professional League in 2021.
Foster cautioned the cricketers that to be successful on the cricket field, they need to develop a culture of discipline, hard work and dedication. He also spoke on the importance of education and the need to stay in school. Foster reassured the attentive youths to take care of the gear and also pledged that the BCB would continue to invest in their careers.
Foster told the players they could approach the board, whenever they need any form of assistance. He expressed gratitude to Minister Bharrat for the gear and for the role he was playing as Patron.
The BCB in December would assist more cricketers under a special project with former Guyana and West Indies opening batsman, Clayton Lambert.
