– Johnson, Panday named as candidates
Mum’s the word from Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) president Chetram Singh regarding any plans he may have to contest the presidency of the GCB which is due in the latter part of January.
While unconfirmed reports state that Singh would be demitting office come next year, other reports indicate that this may not be the case. According to information this hinges on the election of office bearers for the three county boards namely the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB), Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) and the Berbice Cricket Board of Control (BCBC).
Speaking briefly to Stabroek Sport the incumbent Singh said yesterday that he was still undecided. Singh, who has been at the helm of the GCB for almost 20 years, said that in the interest of cricket there are those who want him to continue until the International Cricket Council (ICC)20/20 Mini World Cup slated for the Caribbean in 2010. However, he said his re-election hinges on the respective county boards.
DCB President Bissoondial Singh said that his county elections are scheduled for January 24 at the Wales Community Centre at 3pm. As regard Singh returning to the helm of the GCB, Bissoondial Singh said the incumbent had to make clear whether or not he was seeking re-election. “The election of a presidential candidate should have the full backing of all three boards,” he said, adding that there are whispers that a number of candidates are interested in the post.
However, he said the DCB has not committed to backing any candidate and there are no plans to do so until the candidates are announced. “What I want to see though is the implementation of more technology on the local scene,” Bissoondial Singh said. “What I mean by this is that noting the country’s weather pattern, theoretical training can be enhanced during the rainy seasons of the year,” he added.
Meanwhile, executives from the three county boards have told this newspaper that imminent elections should be a three–person race as long as the incumbent remains in the fray. The other candidates are GCB vice president Alvin Johnson and GCB Secretary Bishwa Panday. Stabroek Sport understands that Johnson has the backing of his board, the ECB as well as the DCB. It has also been confirmed that the BCBC is backing Panday. This newspaper also understands that Singh has the backing of Director of Sports Neil Kumar.
Kumar said he was satisfied with the functioning of the current GCB board, particularly during the hosting of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, and publicly threw his weight behind Singh at the GCB Annual Awards Ceremony held on Friday. Kumar is among those who’d like to see Singh at the helm when the 20/20 Mini World Cup is held.
