Deal!! In this Orlando Charles photograph, the members of the GCB and Shivnauth Construction Services Ltd., are caught signing the contract for the construction of a new cricket hostel which is to be built at LBI. Ripudamanlall and Bridgepaul Shivnauth are sitting to the left and far right respectively.

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) yesterday signed a multi million dollar contract with Shivnauth Construction Services Ltd. for the erection of a new Cricket Hostel which is to be built at La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara.  Present at the signing ceremony yesterday were Ripundamanlall and Bridgepaul Shivnauth of Shivnauth Construction Services Limited, president of the GCB Chetram Singh and other executive members of the GCB.

Upon signing of the contract, the construction agency will receive 30 per cent or $14, 830, 459 of the total evaluation cost which is G$49, 434, 856, as per the agreement of the contract and it shall be paid in three instalments. The second payment, 40% or $19, 773, 942, will be handed over for the evaluation and completion of the super structure and the third and final payment (30%), for the final evaluation and completion or hand over of the structure.

The hostel will be built to house a maximum of two cricket teams and officials, approximately 32 persons. A period of five months, July 1 – November 30, is the evaluation time given to complete the building of the concrete structure.

A plan of placing two synthetic pitches inside the Indoor facility will implemented  while the cost of equipment for the hostel is not included in the amount mentioned above. Singh stated that the board will be ordering the equipment for the super facility separately.
After the signing the GCB got into other issues discussed at their Ordinary General Meeting.

Hosting Competitions
Singh stated that Guyana will be the host of the WICB 2009 senior regional tournament one-day from August 13 – 24. The eight competing teams will be divided into two zones with Jamaica, Barbados, St. Lucia and Dominica in Zone A and Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada in Zone B.However, the venues, matches officials and scorers for the matches are still pending.

The format of the tournament is traditional where every team in a group will play each other once then the two top teams from each group will collide in the semi final to advance to the final. Prior to this, the national senior female Inter Country limited overs competition will commence on July 20 and conclude on July 24.

Following the completion of the tournament, a squad will be shortlisted to prepare for this year’s regional tournament.  Also discussed was the upcoming 20/20 competition that is to be held at the National Stadium that includes Guyana, T&T, Guyana-USA and Barbados where the victor will walk away with GS3, 000,000.

Finally, Singh stated that the GCB in conjunction with the National Sports Commission and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport will run off a cricket academy that targets the Under-15 team which participated in this year’s regional U-15 tournament as a part of their development programme.