Essequibo businessman Deleep Singh was elected president of the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) at its Annual General Meeting Sunday at the Imam Bacchus Library Hall, Affiance and said that the challenge was now to resuscitate cricket in the Cinderella County.
Singh, a miner and proprietor of the popular WD’s Hotel and Mall at Charity, was elected unanimously to the post.
Elroy Stephney was elected vice-president and Trevis Simon secretary with Mustapha Zaman as his assistant.
Shazim Nasrudeen and Adjhodia Lall were elected treasurer and assistant treasurer respectively.
Kumar Dass is chairman of the competitions committee while Sheman Austin is the marketing manager and Wazeeda Bacchus the public relations officer.
The Trustees are Khemraj Surejpaul and Ernesto De Matlos while Excellent Business Consultants are the Auditors.
According to a press release, the positions of chairman of the senior and junior selection panels will be filled by the new executive committee.
The elections were conducted by Cricket Ombudsman Malcolm Peters and were held in accordance with the Guyana Cricket Administration Act 2014.
A high-powered team of Guyana Cricket Board officials including President Bissoondyal Singh were there as observers.
The new ECB president is a former president of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry and also a former chairman of the Board of Directors of the Essequibo Technical Institute.
He served as vice-chairman of the Pomeroon Sports Committee for over 10 years and also served as vice-president of the ECB.
In his acceptance speech, Singh thanked the delegates for their overwhelming support and pledged to serve the interests of Essequibo Cricket in a responsible and committed manner.
He thanked the Ombudsman and the Returning Officer for the efficient and transparent conduct of the elections, the GCB team for their attendance and the delegates for their attention and discipline during the elections.
The ECB President said he is ready and excited to serve the game he loves so dearly and acknowledged that cricket in Essequibo was at an all-time low.
The challenge, he declared, will be to reverse the decline and to develop the game so that the youths especially, can have the opportunity to showcase their talent towards selection at the national and regional levels.
He concluded by calling for unity and hard work for the good of Essequibo cricket, adding that he was pleased there was now an all-inclusive board in place.
He said he will soon engage in meetings with the area committees of the ECB.
GCB president Bissoondyal Singh, in an invited comment, congratulated the new executive committee of the ECB and promised the full support of the GCB as the new executive begins its task of reviving the fortunes of cricket in the county.
He said he was pleased to see former national female cricketer Wazeeda Bacchus on the committee as female cricket is a priority of the GCB and females are encouraged to be involved in cricket administration.
Singh added that the GCB will pay special interest in Essequibo cricket and lamented the deplorable condition of the cricket hostel at Anna Regina.
He announced that the GCB will remit a subvention of 2.5 million dollars to the ECB and that a quantity of cricket gear will be donated to each area committee of the ECB.
He also promised financial assistance for the renovation of the Anna Regina Hostel.
The GCB president expressed his delight at being part of the very important elections of the Essequibo Cricket Board and wished the new executive committee the very best.
