Ross Cup T20 bowls off tomorrow

WHEN THE Ross Cup T20 tournament bowls off tomorrow, it will be a major milestone for past students of Hillview College, Tunapuna.

The tournament which takes place at the Sir Frank Worrell Ground, University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine campus is being evaluated by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) and UWI for cricket development purposes and increasing participation in the sport at all levels.

The notion of the tournament came from the alumni of Hillview College, with invaluable partnerships with alumni from Fatima College and Presentation College, Chaguanas.

Former Hillview College student, Omkar Seetahal, provided insight into the origins of the tournament and how it spawned into a serious community and cricket development initiative.

“This tournament stemmed from the pure desire of Hillview alumni to return to the glory days of playing cricket together and enjoying the camaraderie that is attached to it. A few months ago, Hillview alumni from various graduating years, most of whom never met before, came together at the Hillview College basketball court for a windball knock. This eventually inspired a move to develop a hardball team that can participate in various tournaments already established in the country,” said Seetahal.

He continued, “During this process, a teammate was robbed and shot (while) on his way to work. This immediately prompted a response from the Hillview alumni to launch a tournament to not only celebrate the survival of one of our brothers, but also as a reminder that anything concerning humanity is not foreign to us.”

The former National Open Scholarship winner revealed that the alumni from Hillview College who came together to work on the Ross Cup didn’t want to sit on the sidelines and watch the rapid decline of Trinidad and Tobago’s society. Instead a proactive approach to developing a tournament that would impact multiple areas of our society was developed and resulted in the birth of the Hillview Renegades cricket team.

“The objectives of this tournament are very extensive, and spans a range of areas that we are passionate about. One of these is community development, which includes the establishment of a much-needed network for all alumni, regardless of socioeconomic status. We also hope to delve further into academic research, led by former alumni, as well as to promote technological advancement in cricket. Further to this, the tournament facilitates youth and women development as we encourage female alumni and children of former alumni to get involved in the sport, in both playing and administrative capacities,” said the Aeronautical Engineer.

Past students from Hillview College from different graduating years have been eager to be part of the tournament and become a catalyst for change in this country. There has also been a strong response from former Hillview College cricketers.

“Hillview alumni have responded incredibly to this tournament, not only by having a natural desire to play cricket together, but to also sponsor various elements of the tournament. This is largely due to the potential these efforts have to positively impact our society. There is a genuine willingness to contribute to the tournament and wider society. This was demonstrated by alumni providing flood relief assistance to other members of the team in the aftermath of the recent natural disaster to hit the country. It is undoubtedly clear that the formation of this team and the tournament are stepping stoned to great ambitions,” said Seetahal.