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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday March 1, 2014
Kumar offers unflinching support to GCB at magazine launching By Calvin Roberts DIRECTOR of Sport within the National Sports Commission, Neil Kumar, yesterday offered his unflinching support to the Dru Bahadur-steward Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), saying “I need to see cricket playing on the fields and not in the courts,” Kumar was at the time delivering some brief remarks at the launching of the GCB’s inaugural annual magazine entitled ‘The Guyana Cricketer’. The event was held on the upper deck of the Georgetown Cricket Club pavilion. Present at the launching were Digicel’s Sponsorship and Events Manager Gavin Hope, secretary of the GCB Anand Sanasie, Marketing manager of the GCB Rajendra Singh and GCB vice-president Faizal Bacchus, along with other special invitees. “First of all, let me congratulate the GCB on having both Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Shemaine Campbelle awarded the NSC Sportsman and Sportswoman-of-the-Year 2013, since it was a remarkable achievement by both individuals. Concerning the magazine, I wish to say it is a really good effort on the part of the GCB. The fact that they can get so many sponsors tells that persons recognise that they are doing something for cricket in Guyana,” said Kumar. He added, “Sponsors only come to you when you have accountability, transparency and you are giving them good mileage and I always say this, and if the GCB executive was not doing something good, then they would not have been able to acquire such an amount of sponsorship for this magazine.” Alluding to the fact that both Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan were unable to make the final 11 for Guyana’s first round contest in
this year’s West Indies Cricket Board’s Regional four-day contest against Jamaica yesterday, Kumar called on the GCB to take cognisant of the fact that they are injured and conduct an investigation. “We knew before that Johnson (Leon) would not be playing and I think that with Christopher Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Nikita Miller not playing for Jamaica in this game, it would have been wonderful for us to come away with a win and Guyana need these two players,” stated Kumar. He reminded the GCB that they can depend on him for his unflinching support, since it his will to see the game being played on the field and not in the courts, while he wished to see the GCB producing more youth players. “I think the GCB should start focusing now on the youths, such as the Under-15 and U-19 tournaments. Start focusing on preparing those teams now in the same manner you prepared the senior team for the NAGICO Super50 tournament. “It was quite distressing to me to see the effort that was put in by the GCB in training and preparing that team and at the end of the day they have come up not physically fit, with two of our key players that are there not well, as this is a good match for Guyana to start with a win,” said Kumar. He congratulated the GCB on their efforts in producing the magazine which is being distributed free of cost, calling on them to make it an annual feature and even encouraged them to attach a small purchasing fee for a copy in the future. Prior to Kumar’s remarks, Singh said the idea of the magazine came from Dru Bahadur some six months ago at a monthly meeting of the GCB and he was given the unenvi-
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER
(Saturday March 01, 2014) Compliments of THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL CO. LTD-83 Garnette Street, Campbellville (Tel: 225-6158; 223-6055) Answers to Thursday’s quiz: 30 Tests; 7 centuries 177-Paul Robert Stirling (vs Canada, Toronto, 2010) Today’s Quiz: When the WI were defeated 5-1 in a Test series against Australia in 1975-76, where did the Windies win their solitary game? Where and when did Clive Lloyd strike his only ODI century? Answers in tomorrow’s issue
Here you go, Mr Director! Officially, Secretary of the GCB Anand Sanasie (3rd from left) presents Director of Sport Neil Kumar with a copy of the Guyana Cricketer, while from left, Rayon Griffith, Rajendra Singh and Fizul Bacchus proudly display a copy of the Magazine. (Photo by Sonell Nelson) He added, “The Guyana between the GCB and printer, Under-19 Guyana XI, features able task of making the project Cricketer is no longer a dream, and includes feature articles on Chanderpaul and Ali-Moa reality. but a reality today, marking a on Chanderpaul and rising star hammed and the GCB Report “The major objectives of significant achievement in the Ronaldo Ali Mohammed, will for 2013. the Magazine was to document GCB’s history, as not only are be distributed around Guyana, Also listed within the full and showcase the achievements we celebrating 70 years of serthe Caribbean and the Diaspora. colour glossy magazine is the of our cricketers, the tournavice, but may very well be the When obtained, cricket enGCB’s proposed calendar of ments administered by the GCB, only sporting entity in Guyana thusiasts can find in the Magevents for 2014, which has to have some feature articles that has produced such a classy azine, a foreword from WICB the Limacol Under-15 twocompleted by some prominent publication.” president Whycliffe ‘Dave’ day tournament that is set to cricket journalists and generally In his opening remarks, SaCameron, messages from Kucommence on March 23 as an to improve the communication nasie said the Magazine, which mar and Dru Bahadur, Sanasie’s upcoming event, along with a process with the GCB and the was printed by Krsna and Balreport for 2013, the GCB’s 2013 thank-you to the long and growcricketing public during the year ram Printers after negotiations Awards Ceremony, an all-time ing list of sponsors. under review,” said Singh.
Federer floors Djokovic in Dubai semis By Matt Smith (REUTERS) - Roger Federer rolled back the years to stun Novak Djokovic 3-6 6-3 6-2 in the semi-finals of the Dubai Championship yesterday, his first victory in four meetings with the world number two. Seventeen-times grand slam winner Federer predicted before the tournament that his best tennis was still to come, a suggestion that sounded far-fetched for a player who has slipped to eighth in the world, his lowest ranking since 2002. From midway through the second set, however, the 32-year-old Swiss dominated Djokovic who is still some way short of his 2011 peak when he won Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and Australian Open. “There was a buzz out there tonight. I was fully able to enjoy myself,” Federer said
in a courtside interview after setting up a final clash with Czech Tomas Berdych who beat German Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5 7-5. “It’s never easy against Novak. Today I had a difficult start that put me on the back foot but the crowd kept pushing me on. It’s a quick court and I’m always going to play aggressively.” Djokovic, 26, went into the match having won nine of his previous 12 encounters with Federer. The Swiss, though, seized the opportunity to send a message to the tennis world that reports of his decline were premature. “This is a big step in the right direction for me, gives me a lot of confidence,” said Federer. Such a statement looked unlikely in the first set as Federer netted to give Djokovic a
2-0 lead. LAZY FOREHAND Serving for the set at 5-3, the Serb hit a lazy forehand into the net, shrugging his shoulders in disappointment as the capacity 5,000 crowd roared Federer’s name.
That put the veteran 15-30 up but he then clubbed a simple forehand into the net. Federer saved two set points, the second after a prolonged rally that ended with him whipping a delicious lob and rushing to the net for a volleyed winner.
Guyana bowled out for 117
KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC)-Jamaica were 89 for one wicket against Guyana at stumps on the first day of their Regional four-day match at Sabina Park here yesterdayy. They are replying to Guy-
ana’s first innings total of 117. Scores: Jamaica 89 for one (Horace Miller 46, John Campbell 32 not out) Guyana 117 all out (Jamie merchant 4-29, Russell 4-38)