The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) in partnership with the Government of Guyana via the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport (MCYS), launched its U19 Club and Inter-County Championship yesterday at the National Stadium, Providence.
The tournament will feature two aspects. The club section which will be contested on a national stage, will commence on March 31st and conclude on April 6th. It will feature teams from each of three counties, Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo, competing for a respective division title.
The competition will then take on the traditional Inter-County format which will comprise the 50-over and three-day competitions. This is scheduled for the period of April 12th-27th. A fourth team comprising the best performers that failed to make the final cut for their respective county teams will also compete in this division.
Present at the launch were Minister of MCYS Charles Ramson Jr., GCB President and Cricket West Indies Director Bissoondyal Singh, representatives of the country boards, and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Kashif Muhammad.
During the feature address, Minister Ramson Jr., commended the GCB for its continued developmental scope, pointing out that the Government of Guyana is committed to the development of the sports fraternity which can be viewed in its national infrastructural drive.
According to Ramson Jr., partnerships between the Government of Guyana and the respective associations/federations are pivotal for the advancement of any sport.
He declared that cricket is the nation’s biggest sport as it has been the most successful and has afforded Guyanese the opportunity to compete at the international level against the world’s best.
He noted that in order to maintain the sport’s upward trajectory, investment in grassroots programmes and initiatives such as this event, coupled with the government’s infrastructural agenda of creating world-class facilities in areas such as Anna Regina, Uitvlugt, and Mackenzie, was critical.
Ramson Jr., further affirmed that the tournament will be a long-term investment programme between the GCB and the Government of Guyana, declaring that the country continues to be fertile ground for the production and eventual development of talent, which is evident by the team’s success at the regional level.
He noted that this success will be boosted and aided by the development of the cricket facilities, which are expected to be accessible in the various venues in a matter of months.
Meanwhile, GCB President Singh, stated that he was extremely grateful for the contribution and partnership with the Government of Guyana.
He said that an investment of this magnitude sets the stage for the sport to be catapulted to higher levels of professionalism.
According to Singh, this is what is required for the continued development of the sport, pointing out that the U19 level is a critical age group in the development pathway for players aspiring to transition to senior selection.
