32 complete GCC cricket camp

By Rajiv Bisnauth

Thirty-two (32) young aspiring cricketers from the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) were on Sunday presented with their certificates of participation following the conclusion of a five-week cricket camp organised by the club and sponsored by Noble House Seafood.

The camp, which commenced on July 9 and concluded on August 17, targeted aspiring cricketers at the Under-13 to Under-19 level. It was conducted by former England ODI and Guyana middle-order batsman, Monty Lynch.
At the closing ceremony, former GCC president and Chairman of the Cricket Development Committee, Paul Chan-a-Sue, said that the camp will definitely play an integral part in the development of cricket at the club level.
Chan-a-Sue further told the participants that this is just the beginning of their careers, and as such, they should continue to learn every aspect of the game.
“We at the executive level want to see a winning GCC team and this was the reason we have decided to give you the participants the opportunity to be part of such camp, so you should continue to play the game with discipline and passion,” the former GCC president added.
GCC Committee Member and General Manager of Noble House Seafood, Les Ramalho, said that once GCC’s cricket is strong, eventually Guyana cricket will be strong. However, he expressed disappointment that over the past years the foundation that was once laid by the club has somewhat been lost at the nation al level.
He encouraged the youngsters to take up the challenge so that the club will feature players at all levels in the various national teams. Ramalho promised the participants that in the near future he will try to have the 54-year-old Lynch as the full time coach at the club.
Meanwhile, Lynch, who represented his adopted country against the West Indies with little success in three ODIs in 1988, described the camp as a successful one. Lynch, who played 359 First-Class matches, said there is lots of talent at the club, but more needs to be done.
GCC president, Lionel Jaikarran, told the youngsters that they are part of a club with a tradition of over 150 years in existence and the oldest cricket club in the Caribbean.
He urged the participants to follow in the footsteps of some of the club’s greatest cricketers who have played the game at the highest level. Jaikarran singled out Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Carl Hooper and Ramnaresh Sarwan as some of the greats from the club who have played at the international level.