ECCB supports Bissoondyal Singh for GCB President

Mar 16, 2011 Sports

Since the furore at the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) came to light there have been numerous letters in the press and conversations at social gathering about the state of our cricket in Guyana and with the GCB elections eminent, the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) is throwing their support behind their President Bissoon Singh for the GCB Presidency.

Bissoon Singh

“During this disturbing period the East Coast Cricket Board has been silent although its President (Bissoon Singh) has been the target for nefarious reasons.
However, the letter by K. Beaton in Kaieteur Sports, page 25, March 09, 2011 with the heading –‘you have to be consistent Mr. Harper’-is offensive to the members of East Coast Cricket Board” ECCB member Jupiter Rampersaud said in a release yesterday.
The ECCB says that Singh was invited to fortify the East Coast Cricket Board, adding that in 2006 a senior Official from the Guyana Cricket Board asked East Coast to support an incumbent on the Demerara Cricket Board.
“He received a blunt refusal because our players were marginalized at the Demerara level. This result invoked his wrath and he had the audacity to ask the sitting President Charles Gibbons to run as Vice President along with someone he selected to get rid of East Coast Officials.
In March, 2007 Singh was asked to run for the Presidency by East Coast and won. Singh is a young, educated and successful businessman and along with others formed the Ramblers Cricket Club in the late 1980s. This is now one of the top clubs on the East Coast –the Lusignan Sports Club,” The ECCB pointed out.
The ECCB said that as soon as Singh, a former GCC first division cricketer, became President he introduced a policy of transparency and accountability.
“He introduced a cheque system where all transactions were supported by a voucher and supporting documentations. At the time when sponsors were drying up, he was able to introduce floodlight cricket on the East coast and at times thousands of spectators were in attendance, more than those attending inter county and national cricket competition.
During his tenure he was able to seek sponsorship for the Carib 20/20 competition where the final was always played under lights in carnival style,” the ECCB continued.
“Singh single-handedly sponsored the President’s cup competition on the East Coast for the past four years and made sure other competitions, mainly the Under-15, under-17 and under-19, were played on a timely basis.
This helped the East Coast youths to always perform well, either winning or going to the finals of the Inter Association competitions.
Singh was very instrumental in making sure that the East Coast fielded a first Division team and later assisted all the other teams to strive to the top resulting in three other clubs gaining first division status,” the ECCB explained.
The ECCB said their President was always in attendance at matches and made representation for all the grounds on the East Coast to be cut and ensured first division and Inter-County games were played on the East Coast.
“As President of the East Coast Board he automatically sits on the Demerara Cricket Board and became DCB President by consensus.
At the Guyana Cricket Board elections he received the most votes and became Senior Vice President in charge of cricket development. However when the President was unavailable, the other Vice-President with little administration skills, was allowed to act.
Dictatorship, corruptions and mal practices were prevalent and this situation raised alarm bells so decent officials began to express concern,” the ECCB stated.
The ECCB feels that the investigations created phantom writers and don’t believe there is any K. Beaton in cricket circles.
“Why don’t these writers do not put their true names? This is because they distort the facts and Bissoondyal Singh has long passed the litmus test.” The Board concluded.