| A leaked plan by New GPC for the takeover of the Bourda Cricket Ground and the Guyana Football Club (GFC) continued to meet with objection from executives yesterday.New GPC’s Chairman, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ RamroopThe Guyana Cricket Club (GCC), which is housed at the historic Bourda ground, is set to convene tomorrow to discuss the matter at its Annual General Meeting (AGM). But insiders are already signaling that any deal is more than likely dead before it even gets off the ground.On Friday, a proposal by New GPC to gain management of the facilities of both grounds, was leaked by upset officials of both GCC and GFC.New GPC is a controversial company whose principal, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, is the best friend of former President Bharrat Jagdeo,Angelo Henriquez Chile Jersey, and which has been heavily criticized for a number of lucrative government contracts and deals.Officials from both clubs, which remained divided over the issue,Cheap NFL Jerseys Stitched, continued to insist yesterday that they will not be forced into making this deal possible.New GPC, in what seemed to be an unsolicited proposal dated two weeks ago,Wholesale Jerseys, said it was interested in building a US$30M stadium,Cheap Jerseys From China, and conducting similar business as the Guyana National Stadium,Cheap Jerseys, located at Providence, East Bank Demerara.Ramroop, in his proposal, made it clear that the lands on which Bourda and GFC are on, are leased and belong to the Government and that there is nothing legally stopping him from taking it over.In additional to Tests, One Day Internationals and T20 cricket games, the Providence stadium which was built for the 2007 World Cup, had been making money from renting its facilities for shows featuring local and international artistes.Ramroop was proposing that his new stadium, which he will construct using the two grounds, will be hosting cricket matches, in the different formats. Ramroop wanted a piece of the action with the international shows also.It is unclear what would happen to the Providence stadium if the proposal is granted.Bourda has been on the decline after international matches were moved to Providence.Both the Bourda and GFC grounds are located in one of the city’s most expensive real estate— between Regent Road and North Road.The two grounds stretch an entire block between the Shiv Chanderpaul Drive and Vlissengen Road.Former President, Bharrat JagdeoYesterday, President of GCC, Dr. Lionel Jaikaran, confirmed that the issue is engaging the attention of the executives and said that a statement would be forthcoming tomorrow.GCC’s executives were told not to speak on the issue and instead to refer all queries to its President.Also housed at the Bourda facility is the headquarters of the Guyana Cricket Board. Secretary of that body, Anand Sanasie, said that he learnt of the offer through the report in Kaieteur News yesterday but will not comment until it is discussed at the level of his executive.Also housed there is the GCB media centre.Kaieteur News was told that the proposal, because of its veiled language, had been worrying executives of both GCC and the GFC. The former is now toying with a proposal that will bar the present and any future executives from having any powers to enter into any agreement where the facilities have to be placed into the hands of any outside entity.Rather, the power to make such a decision will have to be decided by the members and not by a handful of executives.GFC’s executives have reportedly met on the proposal and remain divided, officials said.Both GCC and GFC made it clear that the bodies are not against development of the grounds and their facilities but it has to be done in a manner that comes with the blessings of their membership.The very presence of Ramroop, as Chairman of New GPC, may have worked against him, said a senior GCC official.With Ramroop’s proposed cricket/football academy along with a US$30M investment in the stadium, it is the scrutiny of his current companies, including New GPC, that has been worrying the cricketing and football executives.Ramroop’s questionable dealings include several concessions; five radio frequencies and a television licence. He is now poised to even be granted permission to take a piece of the telephone industry. The deals have been generating media attention with Parliamentary members investigating details of Ramroop’s transactions.He acquired the valuable Sanata complex, worth millions of US dollars for next to nothing. He has also failed to live up to the privatization agreement of the complex.The GFC groundIn addition to being controversially granted almost exclusive rights to supply drugs to Government, Ramroop has also been receiving orders for hardware supplies and was even awarded printing contracts.His newspaper,Cheap Jerseys Supply, Guyana Times, and television station, TVG, have been receiving state ads, ahead of the older and more established Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, Capitol News, CNS Channel 6 and RBS 13.Parliamentarians have been expressing increasing worry of the growing control of Ramroop’s tentacles, with the help of the administration, in the various industries.It was only about five years ago that Ramroop and New GPC’s parent company, Queens Atlantic Investments Inc. (QAII) came to the fore but have since moved well ahead of their competitors.Late last night there was word that Ramroop may have withdrawn his proposal to acquire GCC and GFC but this could not be confirmed.The GCC Bourda |
