KINGSTON, Jamaica – President of the West Indies Cricket Board Whycliffe “Dave” Cameron hailed the double success for Guyana in regional youth competitions over the past three days and praised the country’s cricket authorities for their resilience.
The Guyanese won the Regional Under-15 Tournament for the third time when they held their nerve in the final round of matches and finished with an 11-run victory over hosts Jamaica last Wednesday at the famous Melbourne Oval in the Jamaican capital of Kingston.
Bhaskar Yadram’s side won all but one of their five round-robin matches to top the points table with 25 points and clinch the title they had previously won in 1998 and 1999.
Two days later, Guyana had another reason to celebrate, when they won the 3-Day competition of the Regional Under-19 Tournament for the 12th time.
This victory was an extra special for Brian Sattaur’s side, considering they are playing on home soil and it broke a dry spell of seven years.
“On behalf of the directors, management and staff of the WICB, heartiest congratulations to the Guyana Under-15 and Under-19 teams on their victory in their respective regional youth tournaments,” said Cameron.
“We are proud of all of these young men setting themselves goals and making every effort to achieve them. They have all worked hard and proved to themselves and everyone what can be achieved with the right level of determination and commitment. We wish them all the best for continued success in the future.”
Cameron added: “We would also like to recognise the work of the respective coaches Julian Moore and Andy Amsterdam, as well as managers Andy Ramnarine and David Black for moulding these players into winning units.
“Recognition must also be given to the two young captains Bhaskar Yadram and Brian Sattaur for the leadership they showed on the field. With their combined efforts and hard work, they and every member of the team have contributed to success.”
Cameron said the result on the field exemplified the work which the Guyana Cricket Board did to overcome a number of hiccups prior to the tournaments.
“The news of Guyana’s achievement has come as a great delight to all of us at the WICB,” he said.
“We would like to congratulate the GCB for producing these two winning teams, as well as rising to the challenge of hosting the Regional Under-19 tournament, despite all the challenges they have faced recently. This is testimony to their perseverance, and determination to succeed and restore the game to its pride of place in the country.
“We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Billy Heaven and his team at the Jamaica Cricket Association for their efforts in organising the Regional Under-15 tournament as smoothly as possible.”
Cameron said the two tournaments again highlighted the rich talent among the young players throughout the region who aspire to greatness in the future.
“These two tournaments are very important for us and helps to identify at an early age players that may have the ability to play at the highest levels of the game and help restore the rich legacy of West Indies cricket,” he said.
“We urge not just the winning Guyana teams, but every player on every team to continue striving for excellence with the understanding that there are no shortcuts to success and only hard work and the willingness to learn will bring them the rewards which they now enjoy in the future.”
