The third annual regional blind cricket tournament is scheduled for Guyana from July 19-25 and the Guyana Blind Cricket Association (GUYBICA) was presented with a $400,000 cheque from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).

Secretary of the GCB Cricket Development Committee Ron Legall, who sits on GUYBICA’S Tournament Organizing Committee as the GCB representative, handed over the cheque to GUYBICA president and former first class cricketer Mark Harper at the committee’s first meeting on Tuesday at  Malteenoes Sports Club.
The competition will include joint defending champions Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana who placed 3rd, as well as Barbados and the Leeward Islands.

Financial constraints have forced the Windward Islands out of this year’s competition which will be officially launched with the opening ceremony on July 18.

The GCB is offering support to GUYBICA for the successful hosting of the event and Legall informed that the GCB is willing to also offer non-financial assistance.

The Guyana team, under West Indies blind coach Barrat Mangru, is at present fine-tuning their preparation while GUYBICA has written to several prospective sponsors, including the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, and is awaiting responses.

President Bharrat Jagdeo had offered tremendous assistance to the Guyana blind cricket team in the past and GUYBICA has acknowledged his support to blind cricket in Guyana.

The Guyana team includes West Indies blind cricketers Oliver Kerr, Patrick Howard and Ganesh Singh.