Cricket gets second highest $$

The only other national sports organisation to get more assistance is the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation.

This according to Roger Boynes, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs while delivering the feature address at a fundraising dinner at Sevilla Club, Brechin Castle, Couva on Saturday.

The dinner was organised by the TTCB to raise $60,000 which will be presented to members of the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team which scored a unique double crown triumph in regional competitions.

“We have done extremely well in several sporting disciplines over the last twelve months and we need to feel proud as a nation,” Boynes said. He congratulated the national cricketers under the captaincy of Daren Ganga, for their convincing victory in the Carib-sponsored regional Shield and Challenge tournaments.

“It was a tremendous feat which has boosted and uplifted and motivated us,” Boynes said. He noted that Trinidad and Tobago had secured five picks on the West Indies team to play India in the First Test in Antigua starting tomorrow.

They are captain Brian Lara, Dwane Bravo, Daren Ganga, Denesh Ramdin and Dave Mohammed.

Boynes said that with a concerted effort the West Indies should be well on their way up to regain international prominence.

He said for local cricket 20 turf wickets pitches would be developed and $324,000 had been set aside to purchase 12 bowling machines to ensure the further growth and development of the sport.

Apart from that, Boynes said $475,000 would be handed over to the TTCB to be used for the further development of the 19 members of the national team from which $25,000 will be allocated to each player .

Boynes called on corporate citizens to match the effort of Government. “Government’s commitment to sports is unwavering and responsible as could be seen by the fact that we have allocated $2 million for cricket in 2005-2006,” Boynes said.

He said that Bernard Julien, a national coach, and all members of the technical staff were being paid by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.

Boynes said the fact that Trinidad and Tobago have been producing outstanding West Indies players “speaks volumes for the youth development thrust, and such structures, past and present of the TTCB.”

He said that the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago had been co-operating with the TTCB to chart a course for the promotion of the game throughout the country

Deryck Murray, president of the TTCB, said that the board was more than proud of the cricketers’ double victory this year and it demonstrated that they were on the right course.

He thanked the gathering for their support and hoped for further assistance whenever the Board needed help.

Leo Doodnath, well-known businessman headed the committee that organised the fundraising dinner.