The 30th Annual Guyana and Trinidad Mutual, Fire and Life (GTM) Insurance Company Under-19 Inter-county three-day and limited overs competition was launched at the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) office to the tune of $3m yesterday.
Making brief remarks at the simple ceremony held in the boardroom of the GCB office, president of the GCB Chetram Singh told those gathered, including Group General Manager Roger Yee, Fire Manager Nadia Sagar and Life Manager Olga Nobrega, that he was pleased to continue the relationship between the GCB and GTM.
The GCB president said, “Over the years GTM has been playing a major role in the developmental stage of our youth cricket here in Guyana. They are the longest serving partners of the GCB. Their input into this competition has helped tremendously with the preparation of our teams that have participated in regional competitions. Our Under-19 team has been able to compete efficiently at the regional level – thanks to GTM and I must take this opportunity to say thank you for their continued support towards the development of youth cricket here in Guyana.”
Yee, like Singh in his response also expressed GTM’s delight in their partnership with the GCB.
“We at GTM are very pleased to be associated with the GCB in this venture for the past 30 years. We have been looking on from the outside and the progress made by some of the players who participated in this competition is worth mentioning in cricket conversations.
We are pleased to be associated with a competition that is efficiently run by the GCB where the likes of Carl Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan just to name a few have excelled.”
Yee further stated, “We are aware of the weather situation right now in Guyana and our only hope is that this would ease so that another competitive and successful tournament can be held this year.”
The three-day aspect of the tournament, which has seen most of Guyana’s recent West Indies test players including Hooper, Sarwan and Chanderpaul, with the exception of left arm orthodox bowler Neil Mc Garrell and former West Indies off spinner Clyde Butts, is scheduled to commence on Saturday, March 15.
Berbice will take on Essequibo at the Demerara Cricket Club ground. Defending champions Dem-erara will go into action from March 27-29 when they oppose Essequibo at Everest. The final match in this format will see Berbice opposing Demerara at the Police Sports Club ground Eve Leary from March 31-April 2.
The limited overs format will commence on April 8 with Demerara taking on Essequibo at Police. On April 10 Essequibo will play Berbice at Everest and the latter will oppose Demerara at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground on April 12. Only players born on or after September 1st, 1989 are eligible to participate in the tournament.