On Thursday, April 25th, an important ceremony took place at the Republic Bank in Charlestown to launch the second annual Five for Fun Cricket Program. The ceremony was chaired by Ms. Tesia Burton, the branch manager, who noted that the inaugural launch was held in St. Kitts last year.
At the event, several individuals made noteworthy remarks. Dennis Philip, President of the St. Kitts Cricket Association, praised the Ministry of Sports and the Nevis Cricket Association for their work in youth development on the island and thanked the Republic Bank for making the program possible.
Carlisle Powell, President of the Nevis Cricket Association, recognized former WICB President Richard Rickey Skerrit for his contribution to West Indies cricket and cricket development in St. Kitts and Nevis. He provided an outline of how the program will be run in Nevis this year, with Carl Tuckett acting as the chief coordinator. There will be three zones with nine teams and six coaches, including the Nevis Academy and the Elizabeth Pemberton Primary School for the first time.
Training sessions will be held on Saturdays at VOJN, ETW, and Brown Hill. There will be 12 training sessions before the competition. The competition will feature five players on the field, at least two of whom must be female.
Rickey Skerritt, former WICB President, noted the importance of public and private sector partnerships, such as this program spearheaded by the Republic Bank and the WICB. Ms. Pamela Herbert Daniel, the bank’s Country Manager, provided an overview of the program and stated that it is a collaborative effort between the Republic Bank, Cricket West Indies, and the national Cricket Associations. The program caters to children under the age of 12 and focuses on promoting fun cricket-related activities.
West Indies Academy’s wicketkeeper/batsman, Carlon Bowen Tuckett, had the opportunity to speak to the young cricketers, letting them know that his cricket career started in a similar program. He encouraged them to learn as much as they could and put God first in everything.
Tijani Daniel, a young cricketer, led out in a masquerade dance, accompanied by another upcoming cricketer, Kadeem Taylor. Director of Sports on Nevis, Jamir Claxton, indicated that sporting activities should engage children in a way that keeps their interest and opined that the program being launched was one such program. Ms. Zahnela Claxton, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Sports, congratulated all the stakeholders who united in making the program a reality. She officially declared the program open.