For the second year in succession, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has collaborated with the Ministry of Education through the Allied Arts Institute and the Child Care and Protection Agency to roll out another 17-and-under female T20 franchise.
The launching was done at a simple ceremony on the top floor of the GCB, Regent Road where Territorial Development Officer (TDO) of the Board, Colin Stuart laid out the dynamics of the competition.
Stuart explained that the competition will be played across three rounds, the first of which is today at Everest Cricket Club, Camp and Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, and Young Warriors Ground, Cumberland, Berbice, with the two teams who achieved the most points clashing in a final.
The TDO shared the board’s delight in once again being able to partner with the aforementioned bodies to promote the game as well as continue the fight to show that academics and sports go hand in hand and in fact, aid in the development of each other.
Stuart noted that this competition will be used as a scouting programme to identify those who show potential to be selected for the national youth team or even move up to be included in the West Indies squad.
The former West Indies fast bowler also namedropped Shemaine Campbelle, Shabika Gajnabi and Sheneta Grimmond who have been named in the West Indies Women’s side for India’s tour of the Caribbean as well as Cherry-Ann Fraser and Kaysia Schultz who have been regularly invited to the West Indies training camps.
The TDO disclosed that it is the intention of the Board to provide an environment for the female players that is similar to the men’s while creating a structure that is non-discriminatory.
Meanwhile, Unit of the Allied Arts Administrator, Lorraine Barker-King praised the GCB for yet another step towards the development of young athletes especially since the interest in cricket has been growing in the schools.
Barker-King posited that she was pleased to see a woman-dominated head table for a change and labelled the female Guyanese players in West Indies as “role models” for those children who have chosen to embrace the sport.
Georgetown Regional Administrative Officer of the Department of Education, Shenaine Christian-Henry reflected on her involvement in the game, reminiscing on her younger years where she was unable to comprehend what “15 runs for two wickets meant” but has over the years grown to love the sport. She most notably recalled the impact the staging of the female T20 World Cup in Guyana had on her.
Senior Probation and Social Series Officer of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Sherry-Ann Vandeyar echoed Christian-Henry’s experience but reminded those in administration, that child care is everyone’s business and needs to be at the forefront.
Vandeyar commended the GCB for their continued outreach to the Agency in an effort to provide their coaches and other key personnel with the foundation to perform in this area.
The Officer further posited that this competition helps to empower women and serves as a “teardown” of the stereotypical gender barriers that often attach themselves to events of this nature.
