Australian High Commissioner, Ross Tysoe, is encouraging young and aspiring cricketers to book a seat for the upcoming Cricket Test between the West Indies and the Australians and learn all they can from international players.
Tysoe gave the advice during a handing over ceremony of EC$ 900 worth of bats, stumps, balls, and other cricket gear to the Grassroots Cricket Academy on Monday 1st May, 2015 at the Botanic Gardens in Roseau.
He said the Australians are planning to take this Test series against West Indies “very, very, seriously.”
“I hope you will turn up at the match and see the Australians, the World Cup champions, and let me tell you they take their cricket very seriously,” he said. “Seeing them down there practicing for three hours in the hot sun, there wasn’t much rest or breaks. They take their cricket seriously and they are going to give you guys a hell of a fight, I think, over the next few days. So boys go down, see the Australians, your own team as well of course and learn as much as you can from them.”
Tysoe is also “delighted” to “help out in some small way to the future stars of the West Indies Cricket.”
“I think we might even start a little partnership here and we hope that we might be able to help them a little bit further in the future,” he said.
Coach of Grass Roots Cricket Academy, Sharon Gregoire who gave some brief remarks at the event, said she is “excited” about the gift.
“Any gifts we receive at Grass Roots, it goes a long way,” she said.
She noted that this is not the first gift the Academy has received donations from the Australians High Commissioner and mentioned that three years ago Tina Alexander of Lifeline Ministries donated similar items on their behalf.
“We still have a bit of these gears and we use it to our advantage, we use it to train so we had to split them between training and playing matches,” she said.
She remarked that the new gears are from the younger boys to replace the kiddie’s cricket gear that they used before.
“We have gear that will take them to the next level of their training and possible the bigger sections of the Grassroots Academy,” Gregoire said.
Earlier that same day the Australian team gave some basic training to some Kalinago players and also presented them with two kits including plastic stamps and bats, markers and other cricket gears.
They also received 100 tickets for the Test, 20 tickets per day.
From June 3rd to 7th the Test between the West Indies and Australia will take place at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium.
So it takes the Aussies to help West Indies cricket now? WICB serious shame. Grass roots is a no brainer. I really do not understand the WICB.
Thank you from all Dominicans dear High Commissioner and people of Australia. I am very happy to see we are empowering and encouraging the youth.
Praise God nobody stalled that process by saying the sports division was not involved or consulted. Maybe if the parl. rep for Roseau was involved or anywhere close boy the kids wouldn’t have gotten the gear just like Goodwill people not getting Lindo Park done.
Grassroots have done well to make the most of the previous donation from the Australian High Commission. Sharon is an example of an excellent committed coach. I am delighted that the Kalinago boys also got a chance to be encouraged in developing their skills and hope they will be able to forge links with an indigenous team in Australia. There is a real shortage of cricket gear with these young cricketers so if anyone would like to sponsor bats, balls, pads and stumps so that they can upgrade, please do get in touch with me at [email protected].
thank u so much; we needed it so much
Congrats Ms. Sharon, for helping out with the boys. It is greatly appreciated and thanks alot.
Ah….cricket….something near and dear to my heart.
Let us know how we can help.
Congratulations Miss Sharon. I know that was a much needed donation. Keep doing the great job that you do.