BCB launches Roy Baijnauth Memorial Primary School Tournament Baijnauth

-SitaLumberYardlatest donortoKiddiesproject

The Berbice Cricket Board on Wednesday last launched another cricket tournament as it continues preparation to play cricket for the first time at the primary school level. The boardwithsponsorshipfrom BaijnauthSawmillwouldbe hosting The Roy Baijnauth Memorial Primary School Tournament for schools in theUpperCorentynearea.

BCB President Hilbert Foster, Secretary Angela Haniff and Competition Chairman Leslie Solomon visited the Sawmill at its

Crab Wood Creek office to launch the tournament with George Baijnauth, younger brother of Roy, who passed awaythreeyearsago.

The tournament would be played among sixteen schools from the Upper Corentyne and Black Bush

Polder area. It would be played using the Tapeball format and is part of a countywide tournament where a winner would emerge from four inter-zone championships. The four winners from West Berbice, New Amsterdam/Canje, LowerCorentyneandUpper Corentynewouldthengoon to play for the overall Berbicetitle.

Among the teams that would play in the Upper Corentyne tournament wouldbeLeeds,CrabWood Creek, New Market, No56 and Yakusari Primary Schools.

BCB President Hilbert Foster stated that at the end of the historic tournament, the BCB was confident that several exciting talents would emerge to join the different youth teams in the area He expressed confidence that the tournament would be a success and would play a major role in the continued developmentofthecounty’s cricket.

Roy Baijnauth served as President of the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association for many years and was also a long serving executive with the BCB. He served many years as aVice President to the Late Leslie Amsterdam before taking overafterthelatter’ssudden death.Heservedseveralone year terms before being defeated by Malcolm Peters forthePresidency,hewasan outstanding administrator and under his leadership, Upper Corentyne won several major cricketing titles. Baijnauth also served formanyyearsastheMayor of the township of Corriveton.

Mr George Baijnauth stated that he was delighted tosponsorthetournamentin memoryofhislatebrotheras itwasthebestwaytouphold his legacy He also congratulated the BCB on the excellent work it was doing to promote the game acrossthecounty

Meanwhile, the BCB’s planstoassistalltheprimary schools in Berbice with kiddies cricket equipment, receivedamajorboostwitha donation of flannel balls from Sita Lumber Yard of Crab Wood Creek The donation was obtained by community activist MS Indira Jafferally from Managing Director Sita Gumani,whostatedthatshe was very pleased with the effort of the BCB to make sure that every school in the county benefits from the project.

Close to seventy schools in Berbice would benefit from donations of taped flannelballsandbatsforthe u p c o m i n g c r i c k e t tournaments and coaching programmes of the board. Mrs Gumani stated that her company would continue to supportinthefutureasthere is no doubt that Berbice cricketisonthemove.