…Guyana Amazon Warriors Chairman Dr R Ramroop
The Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL), and its local franchise, the Guyana Amazon Warriors, were the actors in one of the brightest success stories of 2013.
Guyana Times interviewed the chairman of NEW GPC INC, Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop, the owner of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, on the upcoming second year of the T20 tournament.
The tournament is being eagerly awaited with great enthusiasm by cricketing fans from Guyana, the West Indies, and across the rest of the world.
GT: Dr Ramroop, the inaugural Limacol T20 tournament was success beyond the wildest expectations of fans. Do you think this can be replicated in year two?
DR: “Replicated” means simply producing a copy of the original. I’ll tell you what: this year’s Limacol CPL will be bigger and better in all respects that you’ve seen and then some. We will have new elements that will just blow the minds of fans.
GT: Can you give us an inkling?
DR: Well, we can’t spoil the surprise for the fans, can we? What I can say, it will all have to do with making the cricket experience even more exciting than it was last year. The West Indian brand of cricket is what T20 is all about. The entire cricketing world was blown away with the sample they saw last year. In 2014, we will create an ambiance that reflects the Caribbean experience even more.
And to top it off, what I can promise is when we say “bigger and better”, for starters, there will be more more matches…many more.
GT: Well, let me ask you. Is the Amazon Warriors going to have any new foreign players?
DR: Without any question! Last year, we were pretty much handed a team, to which we had to make some adjustment after personal injuries and so on. But this year, we’re going to have a much greater say in picking our team…starting with the draft in ….We think the local fans are the most knowledgeable in the world and would like fans to be sending in suggestions starting in January.
GT: Does this mean that you will be dropping some foreign players?
DR: It’s not so much a matter of “dropping” anyone as it is about the nature of international cricket. The schedule is such that there will always be some players who will not be available because of their domestic commitments.
GT: Can you give us the name of someone the Amazon Warriors might be looking at?
DR: It would be premature at this time, but I can assure all our fans that we are aware of some gaps in our line-up that might have contributed to us not going all the way…and we’re going to plug those gaps! We will have a formidable foreign presence.
GT: What about the local players?
DR: Now, this is an area in which we are most interested – we are determined to build our local cricket resources. In fact, in addition to their individual skills, we look at our foreign players to impart their wider experience to our 11 local players.
GT: Last month, there was some talk about the NEWGPC/Limacol, owners of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, seeking to launch a sports academy in Guyana. Was this part of that “local” thrust?
DR: Absolutely! And we are determined to pursue our cricket/sport academy commitment, because as a professional organisation we cannot let the availability of our local cricketers be left to chance.
GT: Dr Ramroop, in your estimation, are there constraints you see in the way of the Limacol CPL fulfilling its goals?
DR: There are several. Firstly, as a Guyanese we’re counting on our country securing the rights to the semi-finals. Last year, over US$25 million was pumped into Trinidad and Tobago’s economy during those games. We want that money to come to Guyana.
Then there is the question of getting our numerous fans from New York, Florida, Toronto and elsewhere down to Guyana to witness our home games. We definitely need more airlines plying these routes.
We’re counting on those routes being serviced, because we’ll be reserving a substantial bloc of seats for overseas visitors.
Lastly, while not an actual constraint, we hope the Marriott Hotel will be completed in time for the next tournament in August to complement other hotels such as the Pegasus. The young, professional Guyanese from abroad are now demanding world-class accommodation – and we must provide that to them.
GT: Finally, Dr Ramroop, what are your expectations for the Amazon Warriors in Year II?
DR: Last year, we went all the way to the finals. That was good…but not good enough. This year, with the improvements we will be making, the Warriors will be the winners of the Limacol CPL T20 cricket tournament!
