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Deryck
Murray
...president of the TTCB.
BY
VINODE MAMCHAN
NEWLY elected Minister of Sport Gary Hunt is reported to
have stated to the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) that they
are the leader in terms of sporting administration in this
country.
The TTCB met with minister Hunt, as part of his programme
to meet every sporting association in this country. He told
the TTCB officials headed by president Deryck Murray and
including second vice-president Leo Doodnath and chief executive
officer (CEO) Forbes Persaud that in terms of their accountability,
youth development programmes, success on the field and general
administration - that they are the best locally.
However, the minister called on the TTCB to look into plugging
the critical 19-23 age group gap. The board has under-13,
under-15, under-17 and under-19 programmes and tournaments
but there is no development programme or tournament at the
19-23 age group.
The minister also called on Murray and his men to put some
more emphasis at the primary schools level. He said that
it is his goal to have every sporting organisation in this
country place a lot of emphasis at the primary school level.
The TTCB has been successful in obtaining sponsorship for
their youth development programmes and youth tournaments,
but funds for the development of the National Cricket Centre
(NCC) at Balmain, Couva has been hard to come by.
The board was able to secure floodlights for the NCC last
year but they are yet to be installed at the Central venue.
The Ministry of Public Utilities has approved the project
but installation was delayed by the national elections last
November.
CEO Forbes Persaud said that the minister has given assurance
that he would use his office to ensure that the lights are
installed soon. He also told the TTCB representatives that
he would assist in erecting a fence around the ground to
secure the venue and would also assist in the renovation
of the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Centre, also located at
the Balmain headquarters. One problem at the indoor facility
is that the run-up is too short and the TTCB wants to lengthen
it.
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