TT cricketers in $33,000 payout

TRINIDAD and Tobago cricketers shared in a $33,000 payout yesterday, reaping the richest dividends of a unique five-year one-million dollar incentive programme sponsored by Angostura Limited. The team, which won the the recent President’s Cup regional limited overs competition were honoured at a function hosted by Angostura on a programme titled “Saluting Excellence” in the Glass Room of the House of Angostura at Laventille. Present were patron of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board, President George Maxwell Richards; Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Roger Boynes; and West indies captain Brian Lara, just back from ambassadorial duties for the Tourism and Industrial Development Company (TIDCO) in London, England.

All speakers at the function were effusive in their praise of the performance of the team, lightly regarded at the beginning but who defied the odds to win the country first West indies Championship for eight years. The accomplishment was even more remarkable since several key players were missing through injury or unavailability including Lara, Dwayne Bravo, Mervyn Dillon, Rave Rampaul, Lendl Simmons and Dave “Tadpole’ Mohammed. Yesterday, Patrick Patel, Angostura’s Group Executive Director pledged to continue providing incentives to motivate the cricketers despite the end of his company’s contract with the cricket board.

He said the corporate orgabisations have a responsibility to put structures in place and provide facilities to promote excellence in sports since pride in national achievements transulates into all sectors of the country. “The win lifted the entire country and my advice to the players is ‘Don’t stop winning’,” Patel said. President of the Cricket Board Ellis Lewis expressed his appreciation to Angostura for their involvement in the development of the cricketers over the years and made a plea for assistance from Government to continue the programmes already in place. He also gave credit to the management team including Omar Khan (manager), David Williams (coach) and Gerard Garcia (trainer) for their invaluable input in the team’s overall success. However he observed that commitment does not come easily to nationals of Trrinidad and Tobago who as a result have to work twice as hard to achieve its benefits.

Also participating in the function were Alloy Lequay, Chief Executive Officer of the Cricket Board and Dudnath Ramkessoon, first vice-president. Ramkessoon, Chairman of the national selectors and Master of Ceremonies yesterday praised the cricketers for showing what he described as determination, courage and team unity in their victorious President’ Cup campaign. Apart from the monetary incentives, a special award was give to Bravo for being the “Most Outstanding Player” of the 2004 regional cricket season. And a support group was also rewarded for their unflinching support. It included statitician Rohit balkissoon, coach Dasrath Maharaj and Cricket Board Office (Queen’s Park Oval) Manager Ronald Cape. And Minister Boynes also took the opportunity to present a $120,000 to the Cricket Board to cover expenses incurred in the team’s lead-up to the President’s Cup and preparations for the upcoming Carib Beer Series regional four-day tournament.