The 33rd Staging on the Kingston Wharves Under-15 Cricket Competition got underway at the Church Teachers College in Manchester recently. Corporate Services and Client Experience Manager at Kingston Wharves Simone Murdock said Kingston Wharves was pleased with the integration of more female players in the competition, including advanced exploration of an all female competition.
Noting that in the West Indies, both our male and female teams have had good success over the throughout the years, Mrs. Murdock stated that Jamaica and the region must rebuild and rebuild stronger,” she stated.
“Our desire is to see both our male and female Jamaican youth teams excel in the region and make a bigger impact on the Windies success on the world stage. We are proud of Jordan Johnson and Abbigail Bryce and the many others who have blazed trails on the world stage for the West Indies. It is our hope at KWL that through our continued sponsorship, and the support of other corporate sponsors, that we see many more Jordans and many more Abbigails coming out of these competitions,” she said.
Mrs. Murdock underscored that each year the company recommitted to the youth cricket competition given the importance of the tournament in enhancing cricketing skills of young people, building their character and positioning them for future success in cricket of their chosen field.
“We continue to be impressed by the talent emerging from the competition, many of whom are making an impact as international players, in sports administration of in other spheres,” Mrs. Murdock stated.
Encouraging the current players, Mrs. Murdock stated, “You too can excel and go on to do great things. I encourage you to do your best. Play hard, but play fair,” Mrs. Murdock declared.
She lauded the Cricket Associations and teams in central Jamaica for their resilience. “Hurricane Beryl destroyed homes and communities and destroyed lives on this side of the island. Cricket fields were also damaged, and for sure this must have taken a physical and psychological toll on the players and leaderships. But you are showing up for another staging of the competition,” Mrs. Murdock.
Mrs. Murdock thanked the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) for the annual staging of the games. “From the structuring and planning the games fixtures, selecting the fields, preparing the youngsters, getting their gear and meals ready, hosting the games and numerous other activities,” she noted.
CEO of the JCA Courtney Francis underscored the importance of the youngsters playing fair. “Play cricket as best as you can in the spirit it is intended,” he said.
He urge them to aspire to go to the next level in the sport, adding, “Twenty years from now you will be leaders in the sport, so do your best to make friends with players from all around the island and do their best to remain injury-free.”
Speaking on behalf of the players Demario Hall, Captain of the Manchester team thanked the coaches for helping with their preparation to assist them in performing at their best, expressing the desire for a great tournament.
The first match between Manchester and St. Catherine played at the May Day High School playfield ended in a draw.
