A two-week Kiddies Cricket Tournament for children in the primary and preschools in Anguilla, sponsored by Scotiabank (Anguilla) Limited, commenced at the Ronald Webster Park on Tuesday afternoon this week.
Cricket Development Officer, Cardigan Connor, welcomed the teachers, children and supporters, but especially the boys and girls, at the mass gathering. “It is always impressive to see our young people playing a sport that is very much part of a culture in the Caribbean,” Mr Connor said. He was pleased to see Jamar Hamilton in the gathering, noting that some years ago he started playing kiddies cricket and eventually went on to play for the West Indies. “There is therefore a pathway from where you are starting today, all the way up to the West Indies senior team,” Connor told the young aspiring cricketers.”
President of the Anguilla Cricket Association, Ralph Hodge, said in part: “I am looking at the cradle of Anguilla cricket going forward,” referring to the presence of the teeming youngsters. “We will never have a cricketing future if you do not develop.” He praised Mr Connor for giving up coaching young people in Australia to return to Anguilla, his homeland, to develop an interest in the sport among the island’s youth. “I am asking Mr Connor for us to go back to that journey[to develop cricket]. We have lost it in recent times and I want to ensure that our cricket goes the next step – and it is only going to do so if you improve,” Mr Hodge told the attentive children. He pledged to use all the energies of the Anguilla Cricket Association to work with Mr Connor, and the head coaches, to achieve success in developing the playing ability and interest of the children.
Scotiabank was represented at the event by Mr Valdez Johnson who urged the students to demonstrate an active interest in cricket. He was certain that kiddies cricket, which the bank has been sponsoring for a number of years, has had a positive impact on the development of the sport across the Caribbean region including Anguilla. “The fundamentals of the sport are learnt from a young age,” he informed the children. “It is time for you to listen to your head coaches, the umpires and the referees – and try to absorb as much as you can in the game of cricket. It is a lovely sport, so I want you to go out there – have fun and make friends.”
Mr Rollins Richardson, Acting Director of Sports, congratulated the children for their involvement in the kiddies cricket. “As you should be aware, in every sport there are the youth level, junior level and the senior level, and we want to encourage all of you to continue with this sport for a very long time,” he urged them. “When you keep on trying at the sport, you can reach the level of success that we have seen other Anguillians reached today on the regional and international scenes.”
The kiddies cricket tournament will continue until May 13.
