Latest update April 20th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 01, 2009 Sports
Incumbent Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) President Chetram Singh’s participation in the GCB’s elections on January 26 is still in the balance and his public confirmation as a candidate could be the key to the results.
President since 1992, Singh has not been as forceful as he could have been in ensuring his board members work as a united front to facilitate the development of Guyana’s cricket but his vast experience as the longest serving West Indies Cricket Board Director, his apparent genuine interest in Guyana’s cricket and amicable relationship with the Guyana Government and Sports Ministry makes him an important player as Guyana, along with Barbados and St Lucia, prepare to host the 20/20 World Cup in the West Indies in April of 2010.
However, with elections less than a month away, Singh, a successful business entrepreneur, is yet to publicly state his intentions after hinting at the last WICB board meeting he would not seek re-election.
Director of Sports and Parliamentarian Neil Kumar has publicly endorsed Singh and while he does not have a vote, he has plenty of influence and a direct interest in Guyana being a successful host for the 20/20 World Cup, since like with the 2007 ICC World Cup, the Guyana Government is a major stakeholder.
GCB Secretary and Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) President Bish Panday and GCB Vice-President and Essequibo Cricket Board President Alvin Johnson are contesting for the Presidency and Singh apparently wants assurances of support from the three county boards before committing.
The problem is that the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB), which is presently supporting Johnson, (but could shift their allegiance to Singh) has set their elections for two days before the GCB elections and there is no guarantee that the present DCB executive will be in power after January 24.
If Singh opts out then it should be a two-man race between Panday, an influential businessman with over two decades of experience as a GCB executive and Johnson, a Headmaster by profession and national under-19 team Manager.
With their elections completed, insiders say the Berbice Cricket Board will support Panday who has been campaigning in Berbice and Essequibo.
If the present DCB is re-elected and Singh is not in the race then Johnson should expect the DCB’s backing. This means that the split votes from Essequibo could make the difference.
Johnson’s Presidency will be challenged at the ECB elections on January 11 by a faction of the ECB that is supporting Panday and with almost the entire BCBC and DCB behind Panday and Johnson respectively; Essequibo holds the most influential votes.
Viewed with plenty of skepticism when he defeated former Test player Clyde Butts for the Georgetown Presidency two terms ago, Panday has revived cricket in the City with plenty of competitions and has involved the present and former players in the running of Georgetown’s cricket. His business networking has played a pivotal role in him acquiring sponsorship for cricket competitions in the Capitol.
Some view Panday’s ‘in-your-face’ involvement in Georgetown cricket as promotion for his personal agenda to defeat Singh and become the GCB boss.
However, even Panday’s fiercest critics would acknowledge that since assuming the GCA Presidency, his work with Georgetown’s cricket has been tremendous. He should be given the benefit of the doubt of being genuinely interested in doing the same at the GCB level.
Johnson, who was instrumental in the construction of Guyana’s first indoor cricket facility and Hostel at Anna Regina in Essequibo, does not have the business status of Panday but his penchant for being principled and honest recommends him as a leader who will try to do what he thinks is best for Guyana’s cricket.
If he is elected as the first Essequibian to head the GCB, Johnson could influence more input from the WICB and GCB for the development of cricket in Guyana’s largest country. As a youth team Manager and school teacher Johnson could also push the GCB towards a better structure for school cricket.
If he decides to contest the elections, Singh could pull vital votes making it a tight race between Panday and himself.
After 18 years as GCB head, pride has probably deterred Singh from making a public commitment before he is sure he cannot lose. But the longer he takes to make his position known is the shorter time he will have to solicit votes from those who have already made up their minds.
Whoever wins the elections it is hoped that they will put cricket first and appoint the best persons for positions regardless of who they supported.
Carl Moore and Ramsay Ali should be reinstated as competitions Committee and Marketing Committee head respectively regardless of who wins while the members of the selection committees must be persons who have played cricket at least at the senior Inter-County level.
It pains those with a genuine love for cricket when politics and insularity contribute to the demise of Guyana’s national sport and kills the dreams of hundreds of youths who aspire to play cricket for a living.
Every local cricket journalist should provide full support to whoever is elected GCB President despite their personal views on the elections. They should also make a consorted effort to expose the negatives which hinder the game’s development as they report without fear or favor. Unless everybody works together despite their differences, Guyana’s cricket will die a slow death. Come January 26 the person with the best campaign and the most hunger for the position should be the GCB President for the next two years.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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