WIPA president and CEO, Dinanath Ramnarine.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Former England Test batsman and current coach of the UWI/Barbados team Roland Butcher says he is thrilled by the fact the West Indies Players Association has initiated a tournament of the calibre of the Caribbean Club Championships.

 

Butcher was delivering an address at the official opening of the tournament at the Banquet Hall at the Queen’s Park Oval Thursday night.

 

“For far too long in the Caribbean we needed something like this and I must say well done to WIPA for the vision they have shown in bringing such a tournament to fruition,” the Barbados-born Butcher said.

 

“It is all well and good to be champions in your own country but now, the teams have a chance to match their skills with other champions in the Caribbean. This is great for cricket in the Caribbean and it is my hope that the tournament goes from strength to strength.”

 

Butcher said there would be teething problems in the first tournament but said he was confident that WIPA would take it all in stride and make the tournament bigger and better in the future.

 

In his address, WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine said the thrust of the tournament was to focus on clubs and communities and to rekindle community spirit.

 

“What we are seeing in the Caribbean is the demise of club cricket, a lack of interest in cricket itself and the erosion of community life,” Ramnarine pointed out.

 

“Clubs need to be strengthened to enable them to provide proper services to members to attract new members and to contribute in a meaningful way to the development of our societies.”

 

Also present at the function was acting Minister of Sport Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and he urged all those present to use this opportunity to improve their game and quality of life.

 

He said the only thing the West Indies had dominated in the world was cricket and young people needed to be inspired by this. 

 

CMC vm/kp/08