The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Friday made a 70-year-old dream a reality when they officially launched the inaugural edition of their magazine, appropriately named ‘The Guyana Cricketer’.
The 60-page fully-coloured book which features interviews, views and reviews of matches, tournaments and other activities throughout 2013 was made possible by efforts from cricket journalists and enthusiasts both locally and internationally while the West Coast of Demerara printing company Krisna & Balram Printers were the engine behind the magazine’s eye-catching appearance.
The launch of the magazine was done upstairs of the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) pavilion in the presence of sponsors, GCB executives and media practitioners.
Acting President of the GCB, Fizul Bacchus, expressed joy with the début of the magazine stating that is was his hope that in the years to come the other issues will continue to grow form strength to strength.
Director of Sports, Neil Kumar, congratulated the GCB on its achievement and said that he knows the sponsorship that the board manages to acquire and maintain in order to pull off its various endeavors is due to the “transparency and accountability,” that they represent.
Kumar further declared that it his personal wish to see cricket being played “On the field and not in the court,” while adding that the development of youths is essential for the overall expansion of the sport.
He concluded by congratulating Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Shemaine Campbell for their top male and female Sportsman/woman-of-the-Year awards.
The cover page of the journal flaunts the country’s biggest gem in the fraternity of cricket, Chanderpaul, whose interview highlights the batsman’s 150th Test matches along with personal stats and his continued desire to contribute significantly to Guyana and West Indies cricket.
An article about rising star, Ronaldo Ali Mohamed to some extent indicates that Guyana is a reservoir for talent and still has a lot to contribute to the West Indies in the future. The magazine also contains the GCB’s fixtures for its inter-county and International matches and tournaments for its 2014 calendar.
GCB Marketing Manager, Raj Singh, said that the magazine’s contents were articulated in its bid to highlight and showcase the achievements of the cricketers along with the hard work put out by persons involved in its development and maintenance.
Meanwhile, GCB Secretary Anand Sanasie, stated that the board is currently working on its website which will be accessible to the world shortly. He also stated that the magazine can be viewed online for free when persons are able to access the website.
