By Staff Reporter

Copyright guyanachronicle

…Women’s category takes centre stage at Police Sports Club ground

By Frederick Halley
ACTION in the inaugural One Guyana Unification softball extravaganza bowls off today at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary with the women’s category taking centre stage, following an impressive launching at the Gandhi Youth Organisation ground on Tuesday.
The tournament, the brainchild of the Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) and title sponsors Regal Stationery & Computer Centre, also has the blessings of the Offices of The President, Vice-president, Prime Minister and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
The six teams vying for supremacy are 4R Lioness, who were victorious in the second edition of the Vice-President Cup, played last October, Number 64 Knight Riders, Elite, Rising Stars, Invaders and Arrowhead Strikers.
The women’s category, which has been boosted by a further $100,000 from New York-based Guyanese Reshma Mathura, will see the winners carting off $400,000 instead of the original $300,000 while runners-up collect $100,000. In addition, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) will take home a three-piece living room suite.
In today’s opening fixtures, set for 9:30 hours, Number 64 Knight Riders clash with Invaders, Elite oppose Rising Stars and 4R Lioness battle Arrowhead Strikers.
Following the three matches, one of the winners will automatically qualify by virtue of a bye for Sunday’s final, set for the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda while the other two will face off for the other place in the knockout affair.
Guyana and West Indies batter, Shabika Gajnabi, who played a major role in 4R Lioness victory over Linden’s Supreme Stars in the Vice-president tournament in October, is once again expected to play a pivotal role in her team’s quest for victory.
Gajnabi slammed a brilliant undefeated 105 in that final, upstaging Supreme Stars Annastacia Vanzuela who had earlier smashed 96 when Supreme Stars were asked to bat first. Set a challenging 168 for victory, after Supreme Stars reached 167 for four in their allotted 15 overs, 4 R Lioness achieved the target in 13.1 overs.
The victory was also sweet revenge for 4 R Lioness who were booted out at the semi-final stage by the same opponents in the Prime Minister’s T20 Cup softball tournament, the previous month, after they were seeking a third consecutive title, having won in 2022 and 2023.
Meanwhile, the three men’s categories – Open All Stars, Masters Over-40 and Legends Over-50 commence tomorrow with a total of 20 teams participating – eight in the Open All Stars and six each in the Masters Over-40 and Legends Over-50.
The Open All Stars category is being contested at the Lusignan and LBI Sports Clubs, the Masters Over-40 at Better Hope and Ogle Sports Clubs and the Legends Over-50 at the Police Sports Club ground.
Apart from Regal Stationery & Computer Centre, the other main sponsors on board include Ramesh Sunich’s Trophy Stall which will once again donate all the trophies and medals, General Marine, Price Shopper Variety, Chung’s Global, ARD Youtuber (Danny Persaud), Crown Mining Supplies, Ansy and Amrit Furniture Store, INS Trading, Ofimak Office & Furnishings (Panama), HL Latinoamerica Furnishings (Panama) and May’s Shopping Centre (Panama).