WIPA get a home

GOVERNMENT have given the West Indies Players Association a home, and have pledged support to the association with funds to run their office. This was revealed at an official opening ceremony on Wednesday night at the new offices at 109 Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain. Sports Minister Roger Boynes who cut the ribbon to officially open the offices said government would stand the operating cost as part of their thrust to improve sport. “We are extremely happy to hand over the keys to this office to the West Indies Players Association and we promise to help them with the functioning of the office. “Dinanath Ramnarine president of WIPA must be congratulated for his part in realising this dream for the players.

He called me non-stop to get things going and at one time he even called me from Houston at 2.30 am. “He did not harass me alone, but called Nafeesa Mohammed and Dr Lenny Saith on the topic. “He is a man of persistence and I am sure the players are happy to have him at the top. “May I dear say though, that having achieved this, Ramnarine must now go on to perform for Trinidad and Tobago in the Red Stripe Bowl and get back onto the West Indies team,” Boynes said. He joked: “If he doesn’t, then I may have to ask back for the keys.” Ramnarine addressing the gathering which included members of the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team as well as Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) first vice-president Ellis Lewis said: “This is really a dream come through for us. It is good to have associations and groups but when there is a place you can call home, then and only then you can move forward.” Ramnarine said a library and audio visual room will be set up at the office and called on citizens to donate cricket books and artefacts to the library. “We are making this headquarters a truly professional unit and we want the public to be able to come in and use the books so that they may get to know the players more.” WIPA was previously based in Barbados since its inception in 1988.