UTC $70,000 for youth cricket

Dudnath Ramkessoon, first vice president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board made the clarion call at the formal launch of the annual Under-19 tournament at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva on Monday.

The tournament is being sponsored for the sixth year by the Unit Trust Corporation with sponsorship amounting to $70,000.

Defending champions are South East Division.

In the opening round match on Monday at the National Cricket Centre, South East played Central.

Ramkessoon pointed to Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Jason Mohammed and Amit Jaggernauth as examples of players who emerged from the Under-19 competition to gain selection on the national and regional teams.

“You too could do likewise as there are many opportunities on the national and regional teams for players who demonsrate commitment, dedication in tournaments like the Under-19,” Ramkessoon said.

He advised the young players to set goals to address the national selectors by virue of their outstanding performances.

The chairman of the National Selection Committee said that the young players’ long term goal should be to wear the West Indian maroon cap as anything less will not make the nation proud.

“As a nation we must be able to supply the West Indies team with a cadre of players who will help to restore international recognition to the region,” Ramkessoon said.

The former WI Youth team captain said the TTCB have several youth programmes which are aimed at producing high quality players who would be mentally and physically equipped to capture regional titles from the Under-15 level up.

“We have been doing so over the past six years and as is being evidenced in the present regional Carib Beer Series,” Ramkessoon said.

The ex-Presentation College, Chaguanas batsman advised the youngsters to play the game within their limitations as he did successfully during his playing days and do not try anything extraordinary as this may lead to their downfall.

“Enjoy your cricket and go into the game with a positive and enthusiastic attitude and make TT proud of you.

Do not allow the negativeness in the society get the better of you as we have too much at stake as a nation,” Ramkessoon said.

He thanked UTC for their continued sponsorship and said the TTCB needed corporate partners to save the country from antisocial behaviour especially among young people.

Margaret White, Marketing Manager of UTC said they was committed to helping the development of youth cricket as long as it was possible and continue to play a dominant role in the growth and progress of the country’s youth.

She congratulated the TTCB for their ability to organising the Under-19 tournament and said the UTC was also involved in assisting other sports disciplines in the country.

“We believe in and practice good corporate responsibility,” White said.

“In this regard we are always involved in working with organisations to build communities to ensure a better quality of life,” she added.

She hoped that discipline and team-building in order to achieve goals would be employed by the young cricketers.

White met the players before the start of the Central against South East match on Monday.