ONE of the biggest local youth development cricket camps resumed in top gear on Sunday with former Trinidad and Tobago cricketer Rayad Emrit pledging his full support.
The allrounder was speaking at the Invaders Recreation Ground in Felicity, Chaguanas when the camp resumed with close to 150 participants after last Sunday's session was washed out by rain.
The initiative over successive Sundays, from 9 am to noon, is piloted by Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West Dinesh Rambally in conjunction with Richard Ramkissoon, president of leading Premiership I club Central Sports.
Emrit, a franchise T20 cricketer who has campaigned all over the world and was just back from Orlando, Florida, United States is one of the top flight coaches from Central Sports having qualified with Level Three CWI credentials.
He said the idea has long been voiced by Ramkissoon who wants Central Sports to have a program of development, and coming to Invaders Ground it was good to see the response.
'It reminded me of the Moosai Cub camp as a youngster seeing so many kids on a Sunday morning and I even brought by son because the pandemic has taken so much from them and just being with their peers again is something every community should do,' said Emrit.
Ramkissoon said the aim was to maintain the highest standards and it was a non-profit exercise for the benefit of the youngsters who were deprived of pursuing their favourite sport because of the covid19 restrictions over the past two years.
He said his expectations were very high for the remainder of the camp which is slated to end on August 28. But on the preceding Sunday, the activities will shift to the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva where the enthusiastic future stars will get a taste of the premier Cricket Board training, playing and administrative facility.
Ramkissoon said Emrit has changed his modus operandi and while still playing the game is focused on imparting his knowledge and experience in helping future generations of cricketers.
He recently coached the national Under-17 team in the CWI regional Rising Stars tournament which was staged in Trinidad and according to the Central Sports boss his future looks very bright in this arena.
MP Rambally thanked Emrit whom he described as 'household name' for lending his immense experience and skill to motivate and train the participants, all of whom were accompanied by their parents and/or guardians for the duration of the session.
'A lot of the children are playing catch-up with their peers in terms of socialising and providing an avenue to develop a love for the game, and their co-ordination skills in a fun environment,' said Rambally.
The MP, who was engaged with relief efforts for flood victims during the week in Caroni, a part of his large constituency said the presence of Emrit will serve to inspire the very young, and the mature children.
Among the other coaches from Central Sports involved in the programme are Trinidad-born ex-Barbados off-spinner Ryan Austin and Red Force captain Imran Khan
