Minister commits and issues challenges

Minister of State with specific responsibility for youth and sports Senator Cecil ‘Ces’ McKie has committed himself and his energies to work with the community of Dorsetshire Hill to upgrade the lone playing field in that community.{{more}}

The commitment was given at the opening of the SVGTV Log Enterprises Dorsetshire Hill soft ball cricket tournament 2010 which was held last Sunday, June 27.

Minister Mc Kie referred to discussions he held with various individuals and groupings from the area, and all pointed to the need for an improved playing facility as a matter of priority for the residents.

He praised the partnership between the National Sports Council and curator of the ground Stanfield Gibson and his crew for the upkeep of the ground over the years and the preparation of the field for the commencement of the competition. He further indicated that many good players had come from Dorsetshire Hill and garnered their cricket skills on that field and so its upgrade would provide opportunities for both cricketers and footballers to have an improved practice facility, allow the hosting of local competitive games, thereby exposing the players from the community to higher level engagement while at the same time providing increased action for the sport loving spectators in the area.

Minister Mc Kie also challenged the cricket authorities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines as well as organizers and players in the various soft ball competitions to form themselves into an umbrella body to create a control mechanism for soft ball cricket which can create an excellent opportunity for a national soft ball community competition or maybe even a regional soft ball competition, with St. Vincent and the Grenadines leading the charge on this initiative. The number of soft ball cricket competitions throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the number of persons playing in these competitions gives legitimacy to this call.

Some eighteen teams are expected to participate in the 2010 Dorsetshire Hill Tournament which sees a welcome return of soft ball cricket to the area after a year’s absence.