By Lakhram Bhagirat
Apart from professional cricketers, not many people would say that they were born to love the game, but that is not the case with Cindya Khellawan, since she feels that cricket is part of her existence. No, she is not a cricketer, but rather a professional fan.
Ask Cindya about any aspect of the game and she would be able to quite easily explain it, or give you statistics and provide the ranking of each player. Cindya hails from the village of Ocean View, Uitvlugt on the West Coast of Demerara and while growing up, according to her, she was a “girly-girl”. However, her parents wanted her and her brother to be well-rounded individuals and exposed them to many things and for her, from the first time she heard cricket commentary, she fell instantly in love.
“At a very tender age, I began spending a lot of time listening to cricket commentary on the radio and watching matches on the television with my dad. It’s obviously exciting to watch matches on the television, but at a young age, I also developed love and appreciation for radio commentary. I was very inquisitive as a child and asked my dad questions about cricket all the time. This was where it all started. Now, my dream is to one day become a cricket commentator and to some day start my own television programme called “At the Crease with Cindya”.”
No one in Cindya’s family plays professional cricket, but they all share a common love for the game. If one was to measure, then Cindya and her father would outshine her mother and brother. She explains that her father’s love for the game fuelled her love as he would often relate his experiences watching past games at the Bourda Cricket Ground.
“He would share statistics and many cricketing memories with me. Listening to him speak about cricket gives me goose bumps every time. My dad and I share a strong bond and cricket makes that bond even stronger,” she said.
While this generation loves the shorter format of the game, Cindya enjoys watching a good game of Test cricket. Having that love for Test cricket does not mean she will not watch and enjoy the other formats, since she says each format holds a special place in her heart.
Whenever there is cricket in Guyana, Cindya is always present and when I asked her whether she would be at the Providence National Stadium supporting the Guyana Amazon Warriors during their Caribbean Premier League (CPL) home games, the answer was an instantaneous “yes!”
“I will be going to all the Guyana games! The atmosphere at the Providence National Stadium for CPL games is always phenomenal and I’m so excited for this year! Absolutely looking forward to celebrating with thousands of other Guyanese at Providence in August and September. I just love how cricket brings us all together.”
When I asked her what are the prospects of the Guyana Amazon Warriors taking bringing home the trophy this year, this is what she had to say, “For quite some time, the Warriors have been considered the underdogs. However, they’ve proven themselves to be one of the most consistent teams since the birth of CPL. We’re yet to win a title and it will be interesting to see how this year’s Hero CPL unfolds. I’m excited to see our youngsters Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and Sherfane Rutherford perform. I’m happy Luke Ronchi and Chadwick Walton are with us again this year. They’re bringing a wealth of experience with them along with Delport, Malik and Mohammed. Tahir, Tanvir, Bishoo, Permaul and Emrit are all good with the ball. We’ve got a good balance and it could very well be our year to win that title and trophy!”
Her excitement when she speaks about cricket is infectious and would convince those who are not even fans of the game to at least give it a try. She describes herself as a proud Guyanese in every shape and form, adding that whenever Guyana is playing a game, she always backs them.
“I’ve always been very patriotic to my country regardless of the format and layout of the game. Though CPL is franchise cricket, at the end of the day the Warriors out in the middle are representing the Golden Arrowhead and for that reason I am a Warriors fan.”
Cindya has already secured her tickets to cheer on the Guyana Amazon Warriors, have you? (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
