Guyana's Singh to end long GCB tenure next month
Published:Sunday | December 19, 2010 | 12:00 AM
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):
Long-serving Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) president Chetram Singh has announced he will quit when his term ends next month, ending nearly two decades of control of local cricket.
Singh, also a West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) director, has been head of the local governing body for cricket for the last 19 years, and confirmed Wednesday he would not stand for re-election.
His departure opens a three-way race between ex-GCB secretary Bish Panday, vice-president Bissoon Singh and marketing manager Ramsay Ali for the top post.
Director of sport, Neil Kumar, said he hoped despite Singh's exit, his experience would not be lost on Guyana's cricket.
"Despite the hiccups this year, cricket was one of the sports which brought Guyanese joy with our T20 victory, and I hope that Chetty's vast experience is still called upon even after he demits office," Kumar said
Stewardship
Singh has been a fixture in regional cricket since taking over from Norman McLean as GCB president in 1991, and has become the longest serving WICB director.
Under his stewardship, Guyana won six consecutive regional Under-19 titles, and he also oversaw the emergence of Shiv Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan as leading Test figures.
The senior team also won five limited-over titles and one first-class championship.
In recent years, however, Singh has been forced to deal with serious internal wrangling in the GCB. He was expected to step down last year but was encouraged to stay on because of the region's hosting of the World Twenty20 Champ-ionship, and subsequently defeated Panday in GCB elections.
Singh has been troubled by ill-health this year and was forced to seek medical assistance in the United States.
Despite this, one of the highpoints of the year for Singh was the opening of the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence, an indoor practice facility and hostel just outside the city.
Singh presided over the GCB Awards Ceremony last Wednesday night which honoured the country's leading cricketers.