Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 01, 2016 (SKNIS): Officials from the Bardsey Cricket Club (BCC) out of West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, presented the St. Kitts and Nevis Department of Sports with a number of items to assist the development of local sports.
Cricket gear including helmets, pads, jerseys, bats, and more, along with a number of netballs were handed over at a ceremony at the Warner Park Cricket Stadium on Thursday (March 31). An appreciation plaque was also presented by the President of Bardsey Cricket Club, Chris Wainman, to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Sports, Honourable Shawn Richards.
Mr. Wainman said the token, made out to the St. Kitts Tourism Board, was a display of gratitude “for all the efforts … to make the tour successful.”
Members of the club’s men’s and women’s cricket team, some accompanied by family members, are currently touring St. Kitts and Nevis for two weeks on a sports tourism venture. In addition to training, they will play a number of games with local teams.
Government’s Director of Sports, Anthony Wiltshire, said it was a pleasure to host visiting teams and in particular, the seventy individuals on the current tour. He added that the donation of sporting equipment was welcomed.
“We are happy … that you are here with us and that you have brought some well needed equipment,” he said. “We as a sports department are always happy when others would join with us to help us to build our equipment [stock] … which we use throughout the island for the various cricket activities amongst the various schools.”
Deputy PM Richards echoed similar sentiments and applauded the group for a donation it made to the St. Christopher Children’s Home. He shared reports he received that persons were enjoying the local hospitality and sights and sounds of St. Kitts and Nevis and encouraged them to cherish the memories.
“As you return to England, I want to encourage each of you to become Ambassadors for St. Kitts and Nevis,” he said. “Therefore as you return, let persons know the wonderful experience that you would have had here and encourage them to visit St. Kitts and Nevis. Also do not wait until the team is visiting again to come back. You’re welcome to come back with your family members at any particular point during the year and participate in the various activities that we have here.”
The deputy prime minister singled out Kittitian Harwood Williams, who lives in the United Kingdom and diligently coordinates visits for teams to train in the federation, and thanked him for his efforts to uplift his homeland. Williams has coordinated about 12 similar visits over the years including this one.