A softball team representing the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) is all set to throw down the gauntlet to the other teams participating in the third annual Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association’s (GFSCA) Guyana Cup softball tournament which bowls off next week.
The team, along with teams from New York and Florida of the United States of America, will battle against some 16 local teams for honours at this year’s lucrative tournament where some $1.8m dollars are at stake in cash and trophies.
According to manager/player Terry Mathura, the team is full of confidence
and is preparing vigorously for the three-day tournament.
“I [am] definitely confident that our players will do well in Guyana; they have shown a lot of enthusiasm and determination to make an impression down there so we are in good shape,” Mathura, the current vice-president of the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL), said.
Canada will participate in the Open T20 tournament but not the Masters T20 division as Mathura said his players are accustomed to playing the longer version.
Despite that, he said the team was still optimistic of dethrone New York and taking the trophy back to Canada. “We have been preparing very hard since the selection of the side with the players who are available because other senior players can’t make it due to their work commitment and personal reasons.
“However, we have several players down in Guyana who would come to Canada and play in our league and we will use them there.
“We must also thank the GFSCA for inviting and hosting us,” Mathura added.
First up for the Canadians will be a match against the defending champions and the team’s arch rivals New York and a win would put the Canadians in a strong position for honours.
OSCL president Albert Ramcharran, will perform the duties of Communications Officer while Vish Jadunauth, another senior executive of OSCL, will be the team’s coordinator. Other representatives from the league who will be in Guyana are statistician Patrick Shivrattan and West End cricket coordinator Ryan Bhup.
The winning team will receive $800, 000 and a trophy and the runners-up $200, 000 and a trophy.
Several individual prizes are also up for grabs.
The OSCL team reads: Devanand Ramsawack, Trevon Garraway, Ravin Babulall, Navin Bhup,Gavin Singh, Rayburn Gonsalves, Terry Mathura, Ryan Bhup, Rickey Mahadeo, Ian Gonsalves and Andy Persaud.
