By Neto Baptiste
Both the Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB) and the Windward Islands Cricket Board (WICB) stand to benefit from additional US$100,000 worth of funding from Cricket West Indies (CWI) starting this year.
This was revealed by President of the LICB and former opening batsman, Enoch Lewis, who said he had made the proposal to CWI detailing the need for additional funding for the two boards given their unique geographical make up and the logistical challenges they face.
“I put up a resolution that we deserve it because we are different to all the other territories and I know we are often compared to Windward Islands but the Windward has four territories but we have eight so we are different. I will give you an example; if Barbados wants to hold a training camp for players, they will drive the children there, they practice and they go back home and it costs them nothing. I just did an under-15 programme in Nevis in December and it cost me $95,000 for 10 days because we have to fly people all over the place.
“So it’s these kinds of empirical evidence and the fact that you are able to provide them with your audited financial statements to show exactly where you are that can convince people to support,” he said.
Stipulating that the additional US$100,000 is for development purposes only, Lewis said the new grant will ensure that both territories are in better financial positions to compete at both the development stages and from a financial standpoint.
“I know what I have planned and I know what our situation is and this has not been done by any president before. Nobody is trying to look out for that and I know we don’t have a major sponsor but that US $100,000 is going to come and it is going to be there when I am no longer around but this is ensuring that Leeward Islands cricket’s financial position improves steadily over time,” he said.
The US$100,000 grant will be in addition to the estimated one million US distributed to all the boards by the CWI on an annual basis.
Lewis will be seeking a fifth term as president of the LICB when the body hosts its AGM on June 22.
