In another massive boost to cricket in Berbice, the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) says it will plump two million dollars from the Patron Fund to the benefit of first-division clubs and youth cricketers in the county.
This is according to a release from the County Board on Sunday which detailed that BCB boss, Hilbert Foster met with BCB Patron and Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat to discuss the launching of the second Patron Fund expected for November 6.
Minister Bharrat was last year inducted as the first ever Honorary Patron of the board and hosted the first edition of the Patron Fund.
Some 13 youth players received cricket gear valued at $200,000 while the board’s cricket development programme received one million dollars.
“The Patron committed two million dollars for the fund in 2021 as he congratulated Foster on the outstanding work of the board despite the ongoing covid-19 pandemic,” the release stated.
This year, the 11 first-division clubs in the county will receive $100,000 worth of while balls for the upcoming season.
Foster, stated that the combined $1.1 million worth of balls will assist the clubs a great deal as the costs of balls has climbed heavily during the COVID-19 pandemic. The clubs which will receive the balls are West Berbice, Blairmont, Police, Tucber Park, Rose Hall Canje, Young Warriors, Albion, RHTYSC, Port Mourant, Skeldon and Upper Corentyne.
The BCB said that it has plans to host at least five tournaments at the senior level whenever the national Task Force grants permission for a restart at the T20, 40 overs, 100 balls, 50 overs and two-day levels.
Distribution of the balls will be done in late November.
The release also noted that $400,000 will be invested into the Patron educational grant programme where 20 junior players will receive $20,000 to assist with school materials.
“Foster and his executives have invested heavily into the educational careers of youths with hundreds of junior players receiving grants to assist their pursuit of an educational background. Each cricketer will receive a voucher to uplift the items from a popular stationery store,” the release stated.
The final part of the 2021 Patron Fund would be the hosting of four social skills seminars across the county. The seminars are the brainchild of Minister Bharrat and will be held in the four sub associations of West Berbice, New Amsterdam/Canje, Lower Corentyne and Upper Corentyne.
Each of the seminars will involve 40, Under-19 players and will be conducted by graduated students of the University of Guyana Social Works class. Among the topics to be covered are table manners, public speaking, drug abuse, suicide, peer pressure, personal manners, how to handle your finances, importance of discipline, importance of education and importance of religion.
The BCB Patron and President both agreed on the importance of the county producing not just outstanding cricketers but also all-round individuals who would be sports ambassadors for the country. Foster has also indicated that all players selected to represent the county in the future would also have to be involved in these sessions as part of the BCB comprehensive development programme.
