Hetmeyer to sponsor three BCB cricket tournaments in 2021
BCB President Hilbert Foster is handing over an Award of Excellence to Shimron Hetmeyer.
Kaieteur News – “I am delighted to be a part of the development of Berbice cricket because I am very impressed by the direction in which it is going and because I fully understand the importance of giving back to the county, where it started all, ”these were the words of West Indies player Shimron Hetmeyer to Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) President Hilbert Foster.
The 24-year-old middle-order batsman, to the surprise of Foster, presented a million-dollar ($ 250,000) check for hosting two one-day grassroots tournaments at the Rose Hall Canje and Young Warriors Grounds, respectively.
The BCB has positioned itself to host at least 10 such tournaments as part of its efforts to renew the passion for the game at club level after a break of nearly a year due to the covid-19 pandemic.
The tournaments would be played without spectators as the Board adhered to Covid-19 National Task Force guidelines. Foster said the BCB is trying to help some clubs attract younger players to their membership, inspire them to be more proactive and also give them the chance to win the BCB tournament.
Most tournaments in the county are won by Rose Hall Youth and Town Sports Club (RHTY & SC) and Albion and this has affected the morale of some clubs as they struggle very competitive against the more organized clubs.
They would also be in a position to take home a very vital cash prize. The BCB has already raised funds for tournaments at the following locations: Bush Lot Farm, Whim, Port Mourant, Fyrish, Chesney, No. 19 Kendall Union, Young Warriors, Rose Hall Canje, Edinburgh, Bush Lot Village and West Coast Berbice.
Sponsors to join hands with the board include Mahendra and Vishal Nagamootoo, Troy Halley and Narsingh Deonarine.
The tournaments in the Canje and Young Warriors would see all three teams play for the Shimron Hetmeyer Challenge Cup and a cash prize. Hetmeyer also announced that it would renew its sponsorship of the BCB Intermediate tournament it had sponsored in 2019.
The tournament was not played in 2020 because of the ongoing pandemic. Sponsorship for that tournament would be $ 300,000 and clubs would receive a maximum of four first division players per game.
Foster and Hetmeyer also discussed other areas of collaboration and more announcements are expected soon. The President of the BCB handed over a collection of publications from the Board and RHTY & SC to Hetmeyer and also presented a special award.
The powerfully built player was unable to attend the Brian Ramphal Awards ceremony on December 27 last. Fellow national players Veersammy Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Nial Smith, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair and former Test player Clayton Lambert were also honored for their contributions to cricket.
Foster expressed his gratitude to Hetmeyer for his support of his administration and Berbice cricket in noting that the Board has named 2021, the ‘Year of Investment’ and it is very pleasing to see tremendous support from past and present players.