Everest Cricket Club 100th Anniversary Souvenir Publication April 2014 Viva Media and Marketing Suite #6 230 Aubrey Barker Road South Ruimveldt Gardens Georgetown Publisher Vickram. P. Singh Editors Vickram Singh Petamber Persaud Sales Executives Vickram Singh Vanie Beepat Rajesh Singh Creative Director Vanie Beepat Viva Media and Marketing would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the advertisers and contributors whose support has contributed to the successful compilation of this publication. You continue to inspire us in so many ways. We are immensely grateful! Copyright reserved. None of the contents in this publication can be reproduced or copied in any form without permission in writing from the Publisher. Email: [email protected] , [email protected], [email protected] Cell: (592) 646 -4469, (592) 650 -7911 For More Information about Everest Cricket Club Contact Everest Cricket Club Camp St & Carifesta Ave, Thomas Lands, Georgetown Tel: +1 592 225 1975, 226 6289 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.eccgy.com ECC / 2 From the Publisher family fun days especially during the Easter holidays. The club has hosted from seminars and meetings to some of the fanciest wedding receptions and parties and of course the renowned Old Years Night’s Parties. Whilst we compiled and researched the materials for this anniversary publication we sought and interviewed many members, individuals and public alike. While we wished we could have made contact with all of you for your input it was humanly impossible. So many of you have migrated and sadly others to the great beyond. There are so many former and present individuals who have served the club with honour, dignity and humility over the years. We would love to document your experiences and stories. To those of you who contributed to this magazine, a very special thank you. This book would not have been possible without you ……..Thanks Again. inally the year 2014 is here and the remarkable Everest Cricket Club This publication has only been able to put together a very small but celebrates its 100th Anniversary! Congrats!!! significant portion of the history of this esteemed and reputable club. FThe British Guiana East Indian Cricket Club (BGEICC) was founded in 1914 by J. A. Veerasawmy with the assistance of prominent middle-class You will notice and observe many omissions in names events places and East Indians of the day. pictures. The first president of the club was Thomas Flood while J. A. Veerasawmy We will continue to write and research the history of the Everest Club held the position of secretary/treasurer and J.A . Luckhoo the position and so we kindly ask that you support us in putting together more on of Captain and so it all began. the history of the club. Oh how we long to hear from you! As we attempt to chronicle this extraordinary journey over the last If you do have any material to support this continued research please do century you will read many fascinating articles on how the club was not hesitate to contact us. formed, its challenges and achievements over the years. To the many companies and advertisers which have supported the club Thousands of individuals have been members of the club and have and this publication in particular, we simply cannot forget your kind socialised, played cricket, lawn tennis, table tennis and many indoor contributions. We are immensely grateful. games including dominoes, billiards and now squash. Cycling and hockey were also regular features on the sporting calendar. Everest has I would like to say a very special thank you to Mr. Rajesh Singh and the been the recipient of many trophies in many varying sports over the last executives for giving me this wonderful opportunity to document the century and many personalities have left us with cherished memories cherished memories and history of this club. both on and off the field. Sincerely, On the social side, the ground has been used for several attractions including Diwali fairs, melas, Coney Island and many barbecues and Vickram .P. Singh 3 / ECC Contents Messages Ranji Singh 28 H.E Donald Ramotar Wilfred Khalil Edun 30 President of the Republic of Guyana 7 Joe Solomon 33 Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony Minister of Culture Youth & Sport 9 History Part Two - 1960-1989 37 Memories of a Cricket Enthusiast 43 100 Years and Still Batting 11 A Hero Lives On 47 100 th Anniversary Fuelled by Love and Guyana Cricket Board Congratulates ECC 13 Enthusiasm for the Game 50 Discipline Fuels Success 53 Going Forward ECC - Mr. Stephen Lewis, Good Old Days at Everest 54 Current President 14 Inspired by a Great Leader 56 Clyde Butts 58 Dr. Cheddar Jagan Patron of Everest 15 Khalil Ali 61 Everest and the Kallicharran Era 62 Editor’s Note 17 History Part Three - 1990-1999 65 History Part One - 1914-1959 19 Everest Cricket Club - Nurturing Youths’ J.A Veerasawmy 25 love for Cricket 68 Chatterpaul ‘Doosha’ Persaud 26 ECC / 4 Special Thanks to the following persons who have relentlessly worked and assisted in making this publication a reality and success. Oscar Phillips Kenty Khan Rajesh Singh Ronald Williams Chris Persaud Professor Clem Seecharan Navin Chanderpaul Derrick Kallicharran Calvin Roberts Kaycia Bower Selena Khan Executives of Everest Cricket Club Contributing Writers Petamber Persaud Whitney Persaud Leana Bradshaw Kenty Khan Calvin Roberts Navin Chanderpaul Hansib Publications Ltd. Stephen Lewis http://www.guyana-cricket.com/ http://www.espncricinfo.com/ http://www.eccgy.com/ http://www.espncricinfo.com/ http://www.eccgy.com/ Contributing Photographers Guyana Chronicle Stabroek News Guyana Times Kaieteur News Hansib Publications Ltd Whitney Persaud Leana Bradshaw Zaheer Mohamed Mensah Fox Westindiescricket.com Digicelcriket.com Caribbeancricket.com http://www.guyana-cricket.com/ http://www.sportsdeskgy.com/ http://chs-jccss.org/blog Gratitude is also extended to the following persons who enthusiastically shared with us their memories of Everest Cricket Club Driving forces behind the Growth and Expansion of ECC in the 1990s 70 Robin Barry Derrick Kallicharran Haroon Mohamed Brian Edun History Part Four - 2000-2014 73 Clyde Butts Lal Munilall Juman Yassin Oscar Phillips Shivnarine Chanderpaul 76 Ronald Williams Antony Xavier ECC promotes Softball Cricket 81 Chris Persaud John Pyneandy The Best is Yet to Come 83 Ivan Pollard Mark Ramotar Prof. Clem Seecharan trills Audience Prof Clem Seecharran David Harper on History of ECC 85 Zaheer Mohamed AGM in Pictures 87 Past Presidents 88 On the Cover Everest Cricket Club David Harper 90 along with Rohan Freedom House defeats Everest in Billiards 91 Kanhai, Shivnarine ‘Pat’ Lagall & Busta Cup 92 CHanderpaul and Everest Embraces many other Sports Tagenarine Chandperaul. and Events 93 Spanning three Rohan Kanhai 95 generations of Everest Memories 97 outstanding cricketers, who represented Everest Cricket Club. 5 / ECC Message from His Excellency Donald Ramotar President of the Republic of Guyana to the Everest Cricket Club on the occasion of the Club’s 100th Anniversary extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Everest Cricket Club in this its centenary year. The one hundredth anniversary of the Club is intrinsically a historic and I momentous occasion. For the Everest Cricket Club, having reached this milestone allows the Club to be ranked amongst the most successful and one of the longest existing cricket clubs in Guyana. These achievements alone are worthy of ecstatic celebration. Everest Cricket Club began as the East Indian Cricket Club one hundred years ago at a time when the social stratification of our then colonial country was based primarily on the tenets of race and class. East Indians whose ancestors had first come to British Guiana as indentured labourers and who were primarily restricted to rural Guyana had begun to advance economically outside of the plantations. However, they faced prejudices and others obstacles in elevating themselves socially, in developing and promoting their culture and in participating in sport. The formation of the East Indian Cricket Club was therefore a landmark event, and equally due recognition of the tremendous strides that the East Indians were making both on and off the plantations. The Club provided an important pathway towards greater social recognition of its members and for them to hone and demonstrate their cricketing prowess. Over its history, the club has produced outstanding cricketers. It has also been identified with individuals who have gained distinction in various facets of national life. The club has therefore played an important role in the cultural development of East Indians. It has also been instrumental in the success of persons from other ethnic groups. In 1971, as part of an Independent country, the Club rebranded itself as the Everest Cricket Club. The new name binds the club to its past and epitomizes its aspirations to aim for the highest ideals and performance on and off the field. Like the towering mountain after which it is named, Everest Cricket Club strives to become the number one club in the country and to urge its members to aim for greater heights. It certainly has what it takes to achieve these goals. The Club facilities are well- maintained and its sprawling turf is always immaculately kept. This has required dedicated leadership and solid support from its membership. On this its 100th anniversary, I would like to encourage the executive and membership of the Everest Cricket Club to study the rich history of this club so as better appreciate that Everest Cricket Club is more than just a club a recreational and sporting facility. It is an historic cultural institution. In this regard, I would like to encourage the club to continue in the tradition of providing opportunities for its membership in wide range of sporting disciplines and to expand its range of cultural activities.