GCUC Executive Team Announced

The newly elected GCUC Executive team includes (from left) Chandraban Rajnarine, Moses Rampal, Dawchan Nagassar, Stephon Josiah, and Javed Persaud.

Dawchan Nagassar Re-elected as President

Dawchan Nagassar from Essequibo has been re-elected as the head of the Guyana Cricket Umpires Council (GCUC) during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held last Sunday at the ECB Hostel in Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast. This AGM attracted the largest number of candidates in recent years, with representatives from Berbice and Demerara joining their Essequibian peers, resulting in 49 votes being cast.

AGM Agenda and Discussions

The agenda comprised the review of the minutes from the 2023 meeting, adoption of these minutes, correspondence, reports from area associations (Demerara, Berbice, and Essequibo), as well as reports from the President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Additionally, there was a segment for other business and resolutions/motions.

Voting Discrepancies

Issues arose during the voting process when Mayor of Bartica, Anthony Murray, acting as the returning officer, discovered discrepancies; 42 voters had cast a total of 52 votes. Furthermore, the claim of having 20 fully qualified umpires in Essequibo was contested by the Demerara umpires.

Name Change Proposal

While the proposed change of the organization’s name to the Guyana Cricket Umpires, Referee, and Scores Association was discussed to include match referees and scorers, this proposition was ultimately rejected unanimously.

Discussion on Umpire Payments

The matter of payment for umpires was another significant topic of discussion, revealing that many umpires were earning less for officiating junior inter-county matches compared to club games.

Election Outcomes

In the elections, Dawchan Nagassar faced a challenge from Shannon Crawford for the presidency, winning with a vote margin of 27-22. Nandkumar Shivsankar defeated Ryan Banwarie by a similar margin for the Vice Presidency. The following positions were filled unopposed: Moses Rampal (Secretary), Javed Persaud (Treasurer), and Stephon Josiah (Assistant Secretary/Treasurer). Sean Devers was re-elected as PRO but declined due to work commitments, leading to Chandraban Rajnarine taking over the role.