Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 08, 2010 Sports
By Sean Devers
“With all of what we have gone through we have to win this thing,” were the words of a tired Skipper of the Guyana Blind Cricket team after he arrived in Barbados close to 19:00hrs on Saturday with just three other members of his 14-member team.
Patrick Howard, a B3 (very poor eyesight) explained that because the entire Guyana team did not make the Saturday afternoon Liat flight (the others arrived yesterday afternoon) Guyana’s opening game against Trinidad and Tobago at the Carlton Ground scheduled for 09:30hrs yesterday, had to be re-fixed and the South Americans will now play their first match today.
When the Guyana team arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana on Saturday, only four members were able to board the flight which was over-full due to the merging of passengers from the Liat afternoon and morning flights.
A sick-out by Air Traffic Controllers at the Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados resulted in no aircrafts being able to land or take off from the busiest airport in the Caribbean for most of Saturday.
Passengers, some of whom began traveling since 06:00hrs to catch the Liat 10:55hrs flight on Saturday, were left stranded at the Guyana airport until close to 17:00hrs due to the industrial action taken by the Airport staff in Barbados.
Liat staff in Guyana apologized for the inconvenience but explained since it was not a ‘Liat problem’ that caused the delay the Regional Airline could not offer meals to passengers who eventually arrived in Barbados more than five hours after their scheduled arrival time.
The Guyana Blind team Captain was accompanied by teammates Teshawn Rodney (B3) and the B1 (totally Blind) pair of Amin Britton and Douglas Tika on Saturday.
Speaking with Kaieteur Sport while waiting for their luggage at the Barbados airport, Howard said the team is confident of winning its first Regional Blind Cricket title since they have been working really hard on the technical and physical aspects of their game.
“We were encamped at the (National) Gymnasium in Guyana just before we left and Coach (Bharat) Mangru really worked hard with us. Our Manager (Theresa Pemberton) has also been doing a great job looking after us and we can’t wait to get on the field this year,” Howard said.
The tournament returns to Barbados where the inaugural competition was played in 2006 and it was not until Friday that former Guyana middle-order batsman Mark Harper, the President of the Guyana Blind Cricket Council, could confirm Guyana’s participation.
The team’s involvement (like in previous years) was in limbo due to financial constraints for their air-tickets and the players are keen to repay those who offered financial support by doing well in Barbados.
While Guyana finished 2nd in 2006, they did do well in the 2007 competition in Trinidad, failed to participate the next year in Jamaica and did not win a game in last year’s competition in Guyana.
Only three players in this year’s Guyana team; Shemona Trinidad (the only female), Omesh Jagroop and Kevin King, are without National Blind cricket experience and Howard says the team is an experienced one and that spirit is very high.
This writer (a former executive of the Guyana Blind Cricket Council) assisted the Guyana players through immigration and Customs in Barbados and observed first -hand the unity among the group and the amazing humor they possessed despite their tiredness and hunger from the trip.
Many in the Blind Cricket fraternity (which includes several sighted persons) are frustrated with the lack of interest shown for Blind Cricket in Guyana.
Guyana’s President Barath Jagdeo is among the few who have been making a consistent personal contribution to the Guyana Blind cricketers over the past few years without much publicity while Stan Cooke is another who should be commended for his efforts.
Guyana has produced three present West Indies Blind cricketers in Howard, Ganesh Singh and Oliver Kerr.
The West Indies team is scheduled to face Australia in three 40-over and two 20/20 Blind cricket matches in Barbados immediately after the completion of the Regional tournament on July 13, and the Regional side will be selected from performances in the West Indies tournament.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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