After a five-year hiatus, the North Coast Dollar Cricket Tournament will resume at a date and time to be set, courtesy the International Sports and Cultural Academy (ISACA) which has now merged with D-Best Educational Sporting Technology Incorporation (D- BEST) to put on an even stronger tournament.
On Saturday, Fizes Hosein who is president of both organisations (D-BEST) and (ISACA) announced that there will be a number of changes to the tournament with respect to the prizes and cash incentives. He revealed that there will be an increase in the number of participating primary schools from three to four.
Paria Roman Catholic Primary School will now join defending champions Blanchisseuse Government Primary, Las Cuevas Government and La Fillette Primary School for bragging rights on the north coast area.
The tournament which was previously called the North Coast Triangular Dollar Primary School League is aimed at enhancing the development of students at the primary school level through sports. To date it has accounted for a number of young cricketers entering clubs and making their way on to the national teams.
Hosein said he also wants to revive rivalry and camaraderie among the students and get them into a type of competitive mindset which will help them ahead of the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) Examinations.
Only recently Minister of Education Anthony Garcia called for students at the government schools to do more, following the release of the Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examination results which showed that the government schools got only five per cent of the scholarships. It is understood the results have also disappointed members of the Cabinet, including Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
Hosein said if students from the primary schools enter the secondary schools with a good foundation it will help with their performances during their school terms. As such e feels if the dollar cricket achieves its objectives it will improve the number of students receiving scholarship from the government schools.
This year students have been given more incentives. According to Hosein the batsman who scores a half century in any match will receive $500 and the bowler who takes a hat-trick of wickets will collect $100. Also batsmen will be given $5 for each run scored and $10 each for a catch and a wicket.
The tournament created a stir among primary schools in Trinidad and also Tobago when it was started by Hosein and ICASA almost 10 years ago. And on hearing of the return of the competition Hosein was immediately congratulated by Garcia who also the MP for that area and Minister of Sports Darryl Smith—who both welcomed the tournament. The tournament will also return to the sister isle soon.
WALTER ALIBEY