Sports Consultant Don Gooding hopes that the second annual Charlie Griffith Prep School Cricket Tournament would follow in the footsteps of the Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools’ Cricket Tournament.
“Our aim for the tournament is to bring up the youngsters and hopefully seed them into the Sir Garfield Sobers Tournament,” the British-based Gooding said yesterday.
“We also hope that it would seek to introduce the players to compete with others at the same level.”
The tournament, which starts today and ends on July 22, will take the form of a Twenty20 competition and will also introduce 35-over games to give batsmen an opportunity to spend a longer time at the crease.
The tournament is for under-13s. Under the British education system, a preparatory school, or prep school, is for mostly fee-paying children ages eight to 13.
Gooding also revealed that this year’s competition had secured the coaching services of former West Indies fast bowler Curtly Ambrose.
Local teams Dover Juniors, Northern Academy and The Lodge School are among those joining overseas participants St Mary’s College of Trinidad and Beechwood Park from England.
Gooding expects the tournament to provide benefits for the sport and tourism sectors.
“Hopefully, the tournament would move from strength to strength with coaching from [Curtly] Ambrose,” he said.
“Since it is an Under-13 event, it would be a fantastic addition to the Barbados sports tourism offerings because it would be attended by parents and guardians.
“It is also expected that the numbers attending the prep school tournament will inject significant revenue through their hotel stay, activities and local services.” (CC)
