TTCB – News

Green light for Central Sports Complex
September 14, 2011

MAYOR of Chaguanas Orlando Nagessar, centre, with Manohar Ramsaran, left, and Patrick Rampersad at the T&T Cricket Board's farewell function for the national cricket team on Monday at the Kam-Po Restaurant, Ramsaran Street, Chaguanas.
Photo courtesy T&T Cricket Board

GOVERNMENT  has allocated funds for the construction of the Comets Sports Complex in Pierre Road, Charlieville and work is expected to begin shortly on the multimillion dollar project.

This was revealed by Mayor of Chaguanas Orlando Nagessar at a function hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board to bid bon voyage to the Trinidad and Tobago senior men’s cricket team who were scheduled to leave on Wednesday evening for the 2011 Nokia Champions League T20 in Hyderabad, India.

Mayor Nagessar said the Alescon Comets Cricket Club, who campaign in the ECU Premier League,  had long  drawn up plans for the sports centre adjoining their home ground but due to a lack of financial support  it never materialised.

This despite strong  representation on behalf of the club and community by businessman Azad Abass-Ali,  president of Alescon Comets who sadly passed away earlier this year without seeing the start of his pet project.

The Chaguanas Mayor said he was especially pleased to be invited to speak at the farewell  function describing the venue at Kam-Po Restaurant on Ramsaran Street, Chaguanas as appropriate since cricket was the most popular sport played  and followed in central Trinidad.

He said he was confident that the national cricket team led by captain Daren Ganga would be great ambassadors for Trinidad and Tobago while in India and he is looking forward to a better performance this year than in 2009 when T&T finished second.

“We have the best  manager (Omar Khan), the best captain (Ganga) and the best wicketkeeper (Denesh Ramdin). There are also other players of a high standard and I am sure they will all make us proud,” said Mayor Nagessar to loud applause.

Mayor Nagessar said that apart from the green light for the Comets Sports Complex at Charlieville, another cricket club in Chaguanas will benefit from a grant of a portion of land to create their own playing ground.

“More than ten years ago Central Sports lost their ground at Saith Park but we are now pleased to announce that the Estate Management Business Development  (EMBD) has agreed in principle to hand over five acres of land possibly on Factory Road for the ground,” said Mayor Nagessar.

Among those attending the function and dinner was president of the T&T Cricket Board Azim Bassarath, first vice-president Dudnath Ramkessoon; secretary-general Arjoon Ramlal, Omar Khan, manager of the national team; coach Kelvin Williams, skipper Ganga and members of the 15-man India tour party; Chan Chadeesingh, director of the National Gas Company; Anthony Creed of the Sport Company; and former Government minister Manohar Ramsaran, now at the Tourism Development Corporation.

President of the T&TCB Bassarath said the expectation was high that the national cricket team would do well in the Champions League T20 despite the fact that they were forced to play in a qualifying series with five other teams unlike in 2009 when the Caribbean champions gained automatic entry into the main draw of the tournament.

He said the T&TCB worked night and day to ensure that the cricketers had the best possible preparation for the top competition involving regular training sessions and short overseas tours to sharpen their skills.

Bassarath also expressed his appreciation on behalf of the T&TCB and the cricketers for the generous sponsorship  by National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago who have allocated $3.3 million to sponsor the team’s Champions League T20 campaign.

He said despite the fact that T&T’s top players Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard will be playing for their Indian franchises and possibly against their home country he was confident that the team selected has the talent and determination to surprise their opponents, much like their did two years ago.

“The T&TCB and the people of Trinidad and Tobago have invested heavily in your preparation for the tournament and it is up to you now to do the job at hand. Go brave Red Force, we are behind you,” said Bassarath.