By Rawle Toney
The Caribbean Premier League’s (CPL) return to Barbados has been heralded by Ministers Charles Griffith and Kirk Humphrey, with both maintaining that cricket is part of the island’s cultural fabric.
While rallying supporters and cricket enthusiasts to back the home team during their upcoming three-game home stretch at Kensington Oval, Guardian Life Group was lauded for generously contributed 1600 tickets, which will allow children to witness some of the riveting action free of cost.
The Guardian Life Group, in a three-year partnership with the Republic Bank CPL is committed to community engagement through initiatives such as its Guardian Life CPL Cricketers and Boundary Buddies programmes.
As part of this partnership, Guardian Life aims to distribute tickets to CPL matches to local schools, in an effort to nurture
cricket interest among young people across the region.
Griffith, the Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, hailed Guardian Life’s gesture as a blessing that holds the potential to inspire the emergence of future cricket talents.
Barbados Royals coach Trevor Penny (left) and captain Rovman Powell (right) at Tuesday’s press conference
at the Kensington Oval. (Photo by Haroon Greenidge)
Meanwhile, Humphrey, the Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, disclosed that 800 tickets would be allocated to the Ministry of Education, while the remainder would be evenly divided between his ministry and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Humphrey noted, “I’m very happy and thankful because it gives them the opportunity to watch cricket at the highest level because people have dreams regardless of where they are.”
Barbados Royals captain, Rovman Powell, was present beside the coveted trophy that the franchise has secured twice, as Minister Humphrey passionately declared that the local players of the franchise “recognise what cricket means to Caribbean people and what it signifies for the people of Barbados.”
Following the clash with the Knight Riders on Wednesday, the Royals have night matches scheduled at Kensington Oval against the Tallawahs on August 31, the St Lucia Kings on September 2, and the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots for their final home game on September 3.
Spectators can also anticipate captivating contests, including the face-off between the Guyana Amazon Warriors and the Patriots on September 2, as well as the clash between the Trinibago Knight Riders and the Jamaica Tallawahs on September 3.
The women’s team will embark on their quest for the coveted Massy Women’s CPL trophy against the Guyana Amazon Warriors on August 31.
Last year, the Barbados Royals women’s team came agonisingly close to winning the title but fell short by 10 runs in the final against the Trinbago Knight Riders.
Since its inception in 2013, the CPL trophy has been lifted by four teams: the Royals (2014, 2019), Knight Riders (2015, 2017, 2018, 2020), Tallawahs (2013, 2016, 2022), and the Patriots (2021).
