The East Coast Cricket Committee (ECCC) last Friday concluded its annual week-long summer camp at the Ogle Sports Club’s East Coast Demerara.
Over 80 boys and girls aged five to 17 from the East Coast and Central Georgetown, were the beneficiaries of intense training, motivational speaking, basic team work and partnership building during the camp.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport at the conclusion of the camp, facilitator and secretary of the ECCC, Jitlal Jowharilall, gave a run down on the progress the camp has made while extending thanks to those involved.
Jowharilall explained that the kids were basically newcomers to the sport but they were guided through some basics.
They also played a few practice matches with the help of ECCC president, Ashmol Alli, ECCC coordinator, Anil Persaud, national female player Heema Singh and David Harper.
For Jowharilall, the event was an experience of a lifetime.
He said that the kids really liked the programme and it signalled a bright future for the sport locally. He explained that the programme had only one female child involved but welcomed all females to join the sport.
Persaud extended thanks to those involved in making it a success including sponsors Scotiabank, who assisted through their kiddies’ cricket programme and those who chipped in with their own contributions including Bel Air Rubis, Clear Waters and others.
Persaud ventured into detail, explaining that the programme featured a lot of kids that never played before but by the end of the one week they walked away with the desire of joining their local clubs and a passion for the sport with some even showing the potential to become national players.
He added that the camp exposed the participants to the basic skills of fielding, batting and bowling. They were also taught the rules of the game, the signals used and scoring which is a skill often overlooked in Guyana.
Andrew Samaroo, a budding all-rounder who came through the club was there to give back said it was a good thing for the youngsters, pointing out that one of the reasons he was there to give back was the fact that it was something similar to this that made him get involved with the game and it is a way of keeping fit and staying out of trouble.
