At nine years old, Aaryan Hooblall is the youngest cricketer ever to benefit from the cricket gear initiative that is jointly managed by Anil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of the USA.
This Grade Three student of the Valmiki Vidyalaya Primary School, located at the confluence of Peter Rose and Crown Streets in Queenstown, Georgetown, has been presented with one pair of batting pads, one pair of batting gloves, and one box.
Aaryan, a right-arm medium-pace bowler and left-handed batsman, is fanatical about cricket, and one day wishes to play for the West Indies. He has expressed gratitude at being selected to benefit from this initiative, and has promised to work diligently to fulfill his aspiration.
Total cricket-related items received/purchased so far: $460,000 in cash, thirteen coloured cricket uniforms, one set of stumps, two trophies, thirty pairs of cricket shoes, thirty-five pairs of batting pads, thirty-five cricket bats, thirty-six pairs of batting gloves, twenty-six thigh pads, three pairs of wicket-keeping pads, six arm guards, two chest pads, two boxes, twelve cricket bags, six bat rubbers, six helmets, one fiberglass bat, one pair of floppy hats, thirteen boxes of white cricket balls, nine boxes of red cricket balls, and twenty-eight footballs.
In addition to the above, gear valued at over $600,000 has been donated by former national wicketkeeper/batsman Sheik Mohamed.
All cash collected is being used to purchase cricket gear requested and not available at the time.
To date, eighty-seven young players, male and female from all three counties of Guyana, have benefitted directly from the receipt of cash, seven gear bags, two trophies, four arm guards, thirty-three bats, four boxes, six helmets, thirty-one pairs of cricket shoes, twenty-one pairs of batting pads, twenty-four thigh pads, one bat grip, thirty-five pairs of batting gloves, one pair of wicketkeeping pads and three pairs of wicketkeeping gloves.
Many other persons have benefited indirectly, and two clubs in the Pomeroon area have benefitted from receipt of two used bats. Pomeroon, Leguan and Wakenaam cricket committees and Cotton Tree Die Hard have also each received one box of red cricket balls, Cold Fusion Cricket Club thirteen color uniforms while RHCCCC received six boxes of balls, fifteen white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicket-keeping gloves, two sets of stumps and bails.
Other beneficiaries are: The Essequibo Cricket Board, the Town of Lethem, youth coach Travis Persaud (one box of red cricket balls), male and female teams playing the traditional hardball and softball in the Upper Corentyne area, #65 Young Titans with 30 T-shirts, youths of Just Try Cricket club of Wakenaam Cricket Academy (one box of white balls), Shamar Joseph, Nehemiah Hohenkirk, Shamar Apple, Leguan Cricket Committee, Tucber Park Cricket Club, Malteenoes Sports Club (nine cricket balls each), Kendall’s Union Cricket Club with two boxes of red balls; Lower Corentyne, Corentyne Comprehensive and JC Chandisingh Secondary schools with twelve red balls each.
Cricket-related items, used or new, are distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skills, discipline, and education are important characteristics of the recipients. Talent spotting is being done across the country and club leaders also assist in identifying the same. Progressive and well-managed cricket clubs with a youth programme would also benefit.
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