March 16, 2009 by Kaieteur News
Chattergoon is Berbice senior Cricketer-of-the-Year by Sean Devers in New Amsterdam
The Berbice Cricket Board of Control (BCBC) held its second annual Awards ceremony on Saturday night at State House in New Amsterdam and the entire Guyana cricket team were among the guest at the well organized two-hour event.
Jamal La Fleur won the Berbice U-15 player of the year, Odle, who is the grandson of former West Indies Keeper Milton Pydanna, took the Berbice U-17 award, while Guyana under-19 Skipper Eugene La Fleur received the Berbice U-19 player of the year award.
Dhieranidranauth Somwaru was named the Berbice Umpire of the year while Young Warriors took home the Berbice team of the year award.
Each member of the Guyana team which is Berbice to oppose the Leeward Islands at Albion, along with Manager Carl Moore and Coach Rabindranauth Seeram received a gift package while the three umpires involved in the match at Albion (Guyanese Colin Alfred and Somwaru and Jamaica Maurice Chung) also collected gifts from the BCBC.
Treasurer of the BCBC Anil Beharry, a former senior Berbice all-rounder, performed the duties of Master of Ceremony while Public Relations Officer of the Board Hilbert Foster presented a review of the BCBC’s achievements in 2008 before BCBC’s President Keith Foster addressed the large gathering.
After a soulful rendition of Johnny Nash’s ‘I can see clearly now’ by former Police String Band member Cecil Marks, Mark Haynes spoke on behalf of the Mayor of New Amsterdam Claude Henry who was unavoidably absent.
Former BCBC President and ex-Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Vice-President Malcolm Peters spoke on behalf of the GCB and Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) since none of their representatives were present.
Guest Speaker, Regional Chairman of Region Six, Zulfikar Mustapha, informed the gathering of Government’s involvement in sports and Education and informed that most of the grounds in Berbice will be resuscitated beginning with the Burnham Park ground on the outskirts of Guyana’s Oldest Town, New Amsterdam.
Mustapha revealed that $3 Million has been earmarked for this project while adding that the Regional Administration is working on reclaiming the Port Mourant ground from Guysuco.
Beharry praised the efforts of Mustapha who influenced Government’s assistance to develop the Cumberland ground, which is the home of Young Warriors and informed that Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud has promised another $1 Million to help complete the Pavilion at Cumberland.
Beharry stressed that the BCBC’s mandate is to mix sports and education and most of the speakers spoke about the benefits of cricketers acquiring an education and explained that Berbice under-15 left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie Kanhai was given a bicycle by the BCBC to help him to get to school and practice early after he was voted Berbice’s MVP in the just concluded Castrol U-15 Inter-County competition.
“Culture, Education and Sports play a major role in helping to uplift our youth. Sports in general is a major unifying force,” Beharry said.
Beharry said that the West Indies team proves that where there is unity there is strength and opined that if the region joined together to form a West Indies football team we would most likely qualify easier for the World Cup than as small single nations.
“Berbice cricket is undergoing a major transition both on and off the field and everyone, regardless of their political affiliation, religious persuasion or race, are working together to strengthen Berbice cricket because cricket is still a passion in this part of the world and very important to almost everyone,” Beharry said.
He said that race, colour or religion should not even be mentioned when we talk about sports since the involvement of sports transcends all boundaries.
Foster also said the transition at all levels in Berbice cricket can be seen with progress evident both on and off the field over the last year.
“Since early 2008 the Board has placed great emphasis on special projects with the hope that they will inspire our cricketers and officials to greater heights. In addition to that the Board has organized the amount of cricket played in the county as it has worked beyond the call of duty to attract sponsors who have readily responded” Foster added.
Umpire Somwaru responded on behalf of the awardees while BCBC Vice President David Black gave the vote of thanks.
An All-time Berbice senior team was named at the inaugural Berbice awards ceremony last year and this year an All-Time Berbice under-19 team was named by a three-man committee headed by Former Berbice senior inter-county off-spinner Sean Devers and including Umpire Samuel White and sports historian and cricket statistician Charwayne Walker.
Awardees:- Jamal La Fleur (U-15 cricketer of the year), Jamally Odle (U-17 cricketer of the year), Eugene La Fleur (U-19 cricketer of the year), Royston Crandon ( Senior Inter-County player of the year), Veerasammy Permaul (Senior Regional cricketer of the year), Erva Giddings (female cricketer of the year), Seon Hetmyer (Most improved player), Brandon Bess (West Indies ‘A’ team achievement), Adrian Amsterdam (Inter-County Coach of the year), Hubern Evans (Regional Coach of the year), Bermine Cricket Club (Most disciplined team), Corentyne District (School district of the year), Dhieranidranauth Somwaru (Umpire of the year), Rose Hall Community Centre (Most improved Club), team of the year (Young Warriors), Sewnarine Chattergoon (Cricketer of the year), Kevin Ramdeen (U-15 batsman), Gudakesh Motile Kanhai (U-15 MVP).