The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) under the patronage of Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat on Saturday launched its activities for 2021 under the theme “Year of Investment” by hosting the presentation ceremony of the Clayton Lambert Gear Project.
The simple presentation took place at the Area H Ground under the supervision of President Hilbert Foster, Secretary Angela Haniff, Assistant Secretary Ameer Rahaman, Competition Committee Chairman Leslie Solomon and Public Relations Officer Simon Naidu.
A total of 72 Under-15 and Under-17 players received cricket gear or a full white cricket uniform in the largest single-day distribution of gear by the proactive Cricket Board.
BCB President Foster, in opening remarks to the players and their parents, stated that the gear was donated by former West Indies opener Clayton Lambert after he had approached him for assistance. The former Berbice Captain, Foster noted, readily agreed and committed to assisting on a regular basis in the future as he was very impressed with the current development of the game in the Ancient County.
Foster stated that his administration in 2021 was seeking to invest heavily in the careers of junior players with special emphasis on gear, educational material, bicycles and regular coaching programmes. He urged the players to cherish the donated items which included bats, batting pads and gloves, wicketkeeping pads and gloves, helmets, thigh pads and forearm guards.
He also urged the players to pray that God would protect Lambert and to research his career as he is a cricketing legend of the county. The players were drawn from over 20 clubs including Bush Lot Rising Star, Achievers, Blairmont, Edinburgh, East Bank Blazers, Rose Hall Canje, Young Warriors, Tucber Park, Albion, Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, Port Mourant, No 72 Cut and Load, No 73, Rama Krishna CC, Scottsburg and Line Path CC.
Two females from the Achievers CC were among those receiving assistance and Foster made it very clear that the gear was the cricketers’ and not the club’s. The BCB President stated that in the future donation of gear would be done to players as executives of most clubs tended to lock away the gear, with few persons having access to them and in some cases, the gear simply disappears.
The parents and youths expressed gratitude to the Board and Lambert for the donation and committed themselves to working harder to fulfil their potential.
Meanwhile, BCB President Foster fulfilled his promise to 17-year-old Ritesh Haimchand of No 72 Village by handing over a bat to him. Foster had committed to assisting Haimchand with a bat while visiting his father who was badly injured during a fight.
Foster urged the youth to remain focused and to work harder if he wanted to fulfil his dream of playing for the county and Guyana. The BCB President will shortly visit the family to hand over under the BCB’s Say Yes to Education programmes, educational materials to four children attending schools.
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