The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) will add a new component to its Scotiabank U-15 Development Program for 2023 with the introduction of a mentorship initiative.
TTCB President Azim Bassarath said the mentoring initiative is a critical element in the program and that the TTCB will work to involve the recently retired Acting Commissioner of Police, McDonald Jacob.
“I’m sure everyone will be aware that we are experiencing a culture of violence that is claiming many lives every day and worryingly the number of young people who have become victims recently,” Bassarath told the gathering of players and parents under -15 years old. during the launch of the 2023 program at the National Cricket Center in Balmain, Couva, yesterday.
“It is our goal, this year, to introduce another critical element in our holistic approach to youth development in the tradition and legacy of the Scotiabank program. An integral part of TTCB’s mentoring initiative will be the involvement of ex-acting CoP Jacob in sessions aimed at impressing positive values on young and impressionable minds,” explained Bassarath.
“Mr. McDonald has served Trinidad and Tobago with distinction and his extensive knowledge and experience in law enforcement will certainly be well received and is sure to help shape the minds of future upstanding citizens who will contribute to building a better nation,” he added. .
Scholasticism
combined with cricket
The TTCB boss said hundreds of youngsters would have benefited from the U-15 program over the years and thanked sponsors who continue to invest in the nation’s future.
“Especially designed for primary school children, it uniquely combined school activity with cricket, in an admirably holistic way that tapped into their skills and talents in arts and crafts, drama, poetry and cricket knowledge,” he said.
Scotiabank Foundation Director Peter Ghany also saw the importance of the program, noting that “creating opportunities for young people to develop through sport supports the health of communities across the country.”
Ghany noted that a unique aspect of the program is the development workshops where participants engage in a series of capacity building sessions.
“Through participation in the programme, young cricketers can enhance their talent in the sport and acquire other skills, preparing them for the future,” he added.
The competitive aspect of the program will see the eight TTCB U-15 zonal teams divided into two groups of four. Each team will play three preliminary round matches with the top two teams advancing to the semi-finals.
The first round of matches ends on February 1 and the final is scheduled for March 1. Scotiabank is investing $300,000 in the program.
