The Hand-in-Hand Group of Companies Tuesday evening launched Cricket at Bourda a wonderful book written by Ian McDonald and Paul Chan-A-Sue at the Georgetown Cricket Club, Bourda.
Master of Ceremony, Howard Cox, Managing Director of Hand-in-Hand Fire and Life Insurance Group of Companies, introduced Chairman of the Hand-in-Hand Group of Companies Clarence Hughes, who incidentally, also wrote the foreword for the book.
Hughes in his opening remarks said his company was delighted to be involved with the book which covers the history of cricket played at the world famous Bourda ground.
GCC is the oldest cricket club in the West Indies and one of the oldest clubs of its kind in the world.
Hughes said that the company he chairs is almost as old as the 150-year-old club, which was just one of the reasons that made it seem appropriate for the company to be involved in a tangible way with the important project.
Hughes regaled the audience which included Minister responsible for Sport Dr. Frank Anthony with tales of how he got into the ground as a youngster and how special the experiences were watching the likes of the three Ws, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Everton Weeks and Sir Clyde Walcott, Guyana’s heroes and all who have left a mark at Bourda.
He hinted in his closing remarks that a second edition of the publication may be published soon and encouraged others to submit their stories about the hallowed cricket club to the authors.
President of the GCC, Neil Singh, said for years he would hear people talking about chronicling the history of the fabled cricket club but no one had ever done anything about it until now.
Singh said when he read an article by McDonald in the Sunday Stabroek, imploring fans and members to record the history of Guyana’s cricket clubs, he contacted past president Chan-A-Sue who then got the ball rolling and the rest was now recorded history.
He thanked the Hand-in-Hand Group of Companies and the authors on behalf of the members of GCC for bringing the project to fruition.
Ronald Williams, who stood in for Guyana Cricket Board president, Chetram Singh, said GCC excelled in two roles supplying high quality cricketers to Guyana and the West Indies and serving as one of the region’s Test venue since 1928.
He also thanked Hand-in-Hand for years of tangible contribution to Guyana cricket.
The company has been the sponsor of the Hand-in-Hand cricket competition for over twenty-years.
He named current Demerara Cricket Board president Harold “Doc” Dhanraj, Fred Hartman, and Ivor Mendonca as being instrumental in developing several successful Test players and said he was confident the club would continue to excel in this area, while passing the baton to the new Providence Stadium as the premier venue for international cricket. Chairman of the National Sports Commission Conrad Plummer in his remarks, said that the publication was timely as it coincided with the opening of the new stadium and the 150th anniversary of the historic club.
He spoke fondly of his days playing hockey at the fabled venue, and echoed the call of Hughes in encouraging fans to make their stories available for the second edition.
Past president of GCC and co-author of the book Chan-A-Sue said he had as much enjoyment being involved with the club both as a player and administrator that being involved in this project was a delight. Chan-A-Sue served on the club’s executive committee on his return to Guyana in 1967 until recently.
Poet, author, sportsman, cricket-lover GCC member and co-author of the book, McDonald said:” The book records a very small part of the history of the club.”
Mc Donald also endorsed the need for a second edition adding that it was important that the rich history of the sport be properly recorded.
The new publication which contains photographs from award-winning Stabroek News photographer Lawrence Fanfair, GCC and Guy-enterprise is on sale at local bookstores as well as the Hand-in-Hand insurance company.