By Calvin Roberts
The fifth annual Busta Champion of Champions 50 overs knockout and the first ever Kool Kidz Inter-Secondary School 20/20 competitions organized by Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) was launched on Thursday at a cost of $2.2m at a simple ceremony held in the boardroom of Guyana Beverages Company (GBC).
Secretary of RHTYSC Hilbert Foster told those gathered including General Manager of GBC Robert Selman, the sole sponsor of the competition; Shameika Yadram, customer service official and members of the media that his club was pleased to have been associated with the Guyana Beverages Company for the past five years.
“Our friends at the Guyana Beverages Company has once again joined hands with us in the sponsoring of these two tournaments and we are pleased about this… and express our profound gratitude…”
Selman in his reply stated, ”We are happy to be associated with RHTYSC on this venture. They have displayed a mature and professional manner in getting things done and I would like to take this opportunity to let them know that we at the Guyana Beverage Company will always be here for them as long as they see it fit to approach us for assistance.”
The sponsors will be pumping $1.4m into the Busta Champion of Champions competition which will feature eight Berbice first division teams. The winner will receive $100,000 and the championship trophy while the runners-up will also receive a trophy and $50,000.
There are other cash incentives up for grabs including Man-of-the-Match in the final ($15,000 and a trophy) and the best bowler, batsman and all rounder will each pocket $10,000.
As is customary, the sponsors will also provide coloured T-shirts for all eight teams, Polo T-shirts for umpires and club officials and Busta drinks.
Teams will also be assisted with finance to cover transportation and balls for matches while the umpires’ fees will be taken care of by the organizers. The final of this competition would also be broadcast live on NCN Radio.
Rose Hall Town Windies Sports Bar are the defending champions. Meanwhile, the Kool Kidz Inter-Secondary School Twenty20 competition is being sponsored to the tune of $800,000 and would involve 16 secondary schools in Region Six, including Line Path Secondary. Players born on or after 1st September 1992 are eligible to participate in this competition.
The winner will receive $170,000 worth of cricket gear, educational kits and a 21” television set while the runner-up would receive $80,000 in prizes. The two losing semi-finalists and the leading players in the tournament would also receive cricket gear. The organizers and sponsor would also stand the cost of balls and umpire’s fees and teams reaching the semi- finals would be outfitted with T-shirts and have their transportation costs taken care of. All teams will be provided with Kool Kidz to serve as refreshments and the finals will also be aired live on NCN Radio.
