Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited and GCB launches historic Under-23 Inter-Club Super50 nationwide Tournament

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited continued their decades-long relationship when they officially launched their nationwide sponsored, inaugural Under-23 Super50 inter-club cricket tournament.

During Wednesday’s historic launch held on the Bourda Cricket Club Ground, cricket was again taken to a newer height with the launch of this U23 initiative, which is set to bowl off on Friday August 18.

Delivering the opening remarks, GCB Secretary Ronald Williams said this new concept will target specifically, players who have finished their careers at the U19 levels but may need to further hone their skills while needing a feeder-like system to enable that final spark which leads to senior or West Indies cricket selection.

The GCB Secretary added that the 44 respective clubs from across the 3 counties (Demerara, Essequibo, Berbice) will now play a huge role with this new format expected to host many national cricketers who are on the cusp of commencing their careers as seniors; add that Republic Bank and GCB will now help to bridge the gap between Junior and senior cricket.

GCB Manager of Cricket Operations - Anthony D’Andrade who gave more logistical insight into the structure of things, said beforehand that the GCB found it necessary to introduce this system as it will play a key role in feeding from one system to more senior, regarding transitioning.

The Manager of Operations went through the GCB’s recent string of events which featured the Republic Bank 5FORFUN which targeted age groups 5-10. The GCB U13 inter-county and the recently concluded U13 Bilateral Series held in Trinidad & Tobago between Guyana and the hosts. He noted that players who may not be successful at U19 could play U23 to keep their careers going with another shot at making the senior team before it’s too late.

Commercial Manager, Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited, Mr. Harry Dass Ghaness during his brief remarks, outlined the bank’s pleasure in supporting the GCB for yet another venture, adding that the two entities have been sharing close working ties for decades, citing one main factor as having a major impact on lives and youth development.

With Republic Bank being the premier sponsor of this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Ghaness stated that cricket is part of the Bank’s Social Investment Program – The Power to Make a Difference as it creates an environment for kids and Sports alike while creating a huge positive impact for all beneficiaries. He said cricket especially, allows youths to find at an early age the tenacity, strength, and confidence needed to thrive in both a social and economic structure while building an overall competitive environment.

Meanwhile, GCB executive Robby Saywack, lauded the Bank for playing a huge role in cricket growth, filling a void which has been there since he was a former player, adding that the void is now filled thanks to the support of Republic Bank.

Essequibo will have 7 teams playing in 6 matches while Berbice will feature 16 teams who will battle in a total of 18 matches. Demerara will have 21 teams playing in 19 matches, with the winner of each county competing in a national play-off.

County finals are expected to bowl off September 1 as county preliminary and finals are set to end on August 30. The Finals will be held on September 3rd.