RHTYSC invests heavily into youth cricket development programme

Oct 01, 2024 Sports

Youth cricketers pose with some of the newly acquired equipment.

Kaieteur Sports – Founded in September 1990 by the award-winning St Francis Committee Developers the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports club has over the years developed into one of Guyana’s leading Cricket Club. The club has won a total of 125 cricket tournament at all levels and has also produced 124 players for Berbice and Guyana, while a total of 16 has gone on to play for either the West Indies or the United States of America. The club has stated that its success over the last 34 years has been based on a formula of sheer hard work, dedication, visionary leadership and proper forward planning.

As the RHTYSC enters its 35th year management has taken a decision to invest heavily in the development of the new cricketing talent at the junior level between the ages of 11 to 15. The cricket development management committee led by veteran administrator Robby Kissoonlal and including Keith Hicks and Tyrone Pottaya are responsible for the special project with the assistance of coach Ryan Kissoonlal.

The committee intends to attract at least 60 new cricketing talents into the RHTYSC membership, to arrange several development programmes and to obtain the necessary equipment/gears needed for the coaching staff.

The club on Wednesday last received a six feet by 4 feet batting mat that would be used by the youth cricketers in the batting cage on the concrete pitch. RHTYSC secretary Hilbert Foster stated that the expensive batting mat would allow the youth cricketers to practice all year round despite the weather conditions and allow the coaches to conduct one-on-one sessions. The batting mat would also reduce the damage to the balls on the bare concrete pitch. The club also received a 120 feet practice net compliments of former RHTYSE under19 player Sharma Sukhdeo. Sukhdeo who now resides in the United States of America is a strong supporter of the club and readily agreed to donate the practice net which would be used around the batting cage. The RHTYSC now has a total of four practice Nets at its disposal.

The club now have four additional kiddies practice sets for the under 13 players. The plastic kits are mainly used by players who are playing the game for the first time and are being taught how to play the game properly by coaches. Foster disclosed that the RHTYSC now have a total of 20 sets and plan to obtain more in the future. Dozens of cricket balls were also shipped in the United States of America with sponsorship from overseas based Guyanese Renrick Batson a former RHTYSC first division captain, Feroze Islam and Ravi Etwaroo who is the owner of the popular cricket zone cricket store in the United States.

The balls would be used for coaching session, junior elite training session and practice matches among the youths. The club has also invested in fielding equipment, bowling machine, catching cribs, exercise equipment among others in an effort to produce all round players. Additionally, Foster stated that the club invests heavily into its membership by assisting with personal cricket gears, uniform, educational materials, bicycle electronic tablet among others. Membership to the club is free.

The club has also invested heavily into the up keep of the Area H ground for the restart of the 2024 season by repainting the two sight screens, constructing over 300 feet of boundary boards and planting grass at selected spot in the ground. The RHTYSC has also sought and received assistance from the region 6 RDC to undergo urgent repairs to the main pavilion. A $800,000 mobile grass cutter was also recently purchased with the assistance of Dr. Frank Dembow and Panthera Solution Inc.

The Area H ground is the home venue for players like Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Junior Sinclair, Shemaine Campbell, Sabika Gajnabi and Sheneta Grimmond, who are 2024 CPL players.

• Guyanese, Renrick Batson, RHTYSC, Robby Kissoonlal, Ryan Kissoonlal, Sabika  Gajnabi and Sheneta Grimmond, Shemaine Campbell, Tyrone Pottaya