Shivnarine Chanderpaul won the Cricketer-of-the-Year award when the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) held its annual award ceremony for 2007 on Wednesday night at the Georgetown Cricket Club pavilion.
Prior to the recipients receiving their awards the small gathering which braved the weather included former Chancellor of the Judiciary Cecil Kennard and his wife and former national and West Indies players Reon King, Colin Stuart, Clyde Butts and Ivor Mendonca along with past and present national players.
They were addressed by President of the GCB, Chetram Singh, Minister of Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony and noted cricket writer, Ian Mc Donald.
Also present at the ceremony, which returned to its place of origin after being held at the Umana Yana for a number of years were injured West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, the West Indies under-19 team which is currently encamped in Guyana and representatives of sponsors of cricket in Guyana.
Singh recapped for the gathering, the performances of the national teams at regional competitions for the year.
“We started with three away games in the Carib Beer four-day competition, followed by two home games and placing fourth. We failed to qualify for the finals which was held in and won by Trinidad.
“The KFC Cup limited overs competition was played in two phases this year. In the first phase, Guyana qualified for the semi-final where they lost to eventual champions Trinidad and Tobago.
“We then successfully hosted a leg of Cricket World Cup 2007 Super Eight matches at the National Stadium, Providence and followed that with the second phase of the KFC Cup which saw a total of eight teams participating. The two additional teams being the West Indies Under-19 squad and a Combined College and Campuses side. Here again Guyana reached the semi-final where they lost out to the eventual champions Jamaica.
“Our under-19 team, led by Steven Jacobs restored some glory to the country when they retained the TCL Under-19 three-day competition, but failed to win the one-day format, a title that has been eluding us since its inception,” Singh further stated.
Dr. Anthony, like Singh, noted the successful hosting of CWC 2007.
“CWC 2007 helped to create the 21st century era and announced to the rest of the world that we in the West Indies, more so Guyana, can do much when it comes to sports.”
Anthony, who has been a pillar of strength behind Guyana’s successful hosting of CWC also told the audience how important a role regional governments have to play to resurrect West Indies cricket.
“Our youths need strong, proactive breeding to help enable the physical and mental toughness that is required for the world stage. Regional governments have a serious role to play in the development of West Indies cricket. Without them, there would have been no stadiums and no CWC in the West Indies this year and I urge all and sundry to take up the mantle and help West Indies cricket rise from the doldrums and back on top of the pinnacle where it belongs.”
He also pledged to make the Cheddi Jagan Memorial match an annual event with invitees from the cricket Diaspora in the region participating and congratulated the GCB and the various winners on their awards.
Mc Donald spoke briefly on the Patterson Committee’s report that was recently issued to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
“Cricket truly is a West Indian thing. It binds us together. When they are doing well, we all rejoice and when they are in the slump, work in offices slackens and all and sundry feels the loss deeply.”
He also took the opportunity to express his delight at being back at GCC where he has been a member since 1955.
Apart from Chanderpaul, the other awardees were: Most Improved Player (Lance Gibbs trophy) Veerasammy Permaul; Junior Cricketer of the Year (Roy Fredericks trophy) Steve Jacobs; Senior Domestic Cricketer of the Year (Rohan Khanai trophy) Assad Fudadin; and Senior Regional Cricketer of the Year (Clive Lloyd trophy) Narsingh Deonarine.
The Annual GUYSUCO Awards given to chosen members of the Under-19 team were also presented with Vishal Singh (highest score), Clive Andries (best fielder) and Jacobs (MVP) being the recipients.
Members of the victorious Guyana TCL Under-19 team were each presented with a plaque, while Lance Baptiste (Cricket Development), Beverly Nelson (Physiother-apist), Roger Harper (Player, Coach, Administrator and Broadcaster) Sydney Jackman (Player and Broadcaster), Cecil Kilkenny (Professional Services) and Hilbert Foster (Administrator) each received an award for their individual services to cricket.
The late Mohabir ‘Neil’ Singh was given a special posthumous award for his sterling contribution to cricket also, while the corporate awards went to Ansa McAl Trading, Clico Life and General Insurance, NTN channel 69 and GNIC Inc respectively for their outstanding contributions to cricket development through sponsorship.
Other prize winners included St Stanislaus College (Female Secondary School champions) and West Demerara (runners-up)
In his thank you remarks on behalf of the recipients, Jackman, a former cricketer now commentator, urged the GCB with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport to conduct a training programme for television commentators as this form of commentary is now needed.
A cocktail reception followed the presentation of awards.
