President Ali also maintains an open-door policy to the cricket fraternity and is only a phone call away. This stands in stark contrast to the previous administration, when under the then-President
David Granger, and despite numerous attempts, members of the Cricket Fraternity were able to
secure only one meeting which ultimately proved unproductive and served no useful purpose.
All of these development programs were glaringly absent during APNU’s tenure in office. In
fact, under APNU’s watch, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport was relegated to a
minuscule department within the Ministry of Education – a clear reflection of how little priority
they placed on sport and youth development.
It was the Irfaan Ali administration, through Minister Charles Ramson Jr. working with Cricket
West Indies (CWI), that ensured the Guyana Cricket Administration Act passed in 2014 was
finally enforced – enabling democratic and transparent elections after years of stagnation. APNU
sat in government for five years and did nothing to resolve the crisis in cricket. Worse still, it was
APNU’s own Minister of Sport who agreed to have the very Act – which APNU unanimously
supported in Parliament – suspended before the Court, directly contributing to the instability that
plagued cricket in Guyana.
Today, the GCB with full support from the Government of Guyana stands proud of its record.
We have initiated academy programs across the country to nurture talent at all levels. We are
current Regional Four-Day Champions, and for the first time Regional Women’s T20
Champions and Under-19 Women’s Champions. We have become a nation of champions in
cricket, and this success belongs to every player, coach, administrator, and partner who have
contributed to rebuilding and advancing the game. But more importantly, it came at a time when
government assistance was at its highest.
We wish to remind APNU that we have a right, as an independent and autonomous body, to
express our views and our gratitude. It is a fundamental
The post GCB head reiterates support for President Ali, despite concerns from APNU appeared first on News Room Guyana.
