Beharry Group targets 80 schools in National U-19 T20 tournament

School cricket in Guyana has been handed a massive shot in the arm following the official launching of the inaugural Beharry Group of Companies Schools’ Under-19 T20 League.

The nationwide tournament, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE) aims to revitalise grassroots cricket and pave a crucial competitive pathway for the country’s emerging youth talent.

Coordinated by the Petra Organisation, the ambitious project will target approximately 80 schools across eight distinct zones spanning the length and breadth of Guyana.

The competition is set to bowl off on June 13, 2026, with matches taking place on grounds from Moruca to Berbice.

The tournament features a dynamic, two-tier format designed to test both the resilience and consistency of the young cricketers.

The action begins with highly competitive zonal playoffs played on a straight knockout basis. Once a champion is crowned in each of the eight zones, those winning teams will be ranked by Net Run Rate and split into two groups of four.

According to the lead coordinator, Azizi Christiani, the stakes intensify after a single round-robin group stage. The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs, mirroring the high-octane Caribbean Premier League (CPL) playoff system.

The top-seeded teams will clash in a Qualifier for a direct ticket to the grand final, while the losing side gets a second bite at the cherry against the winner of the elimination match between the second-place finishers.

The tournament’s eight zones are broken down as follows:

• Zone 1: Regions One and Two (10 teams)
• Zone 2: Regions Three and Seven (9 teams)
• Zone 3: East Bank Demerara and Upper Demerara (7 schools)
• Zone 4: South Georgetown (10 schools)
• Zone 5: North Georgetown (12 schools)
• Zone 6: East Coast Demerara (10 schools)
• Zone 7: West Berbice (6 schools)
• Zone 8: East Berbice/Corentyne (14 teams)

For the Beharry Group, a company with nearly 90 years of history in Guyana, this venture represents a deep-rooted commitment to national youth development through sports.

Speaking at the media launch, Malissa Sylvester, Group Chief Marketing Officer of the Beharry Group, emphasised that the competition is designed around participation, inclusion, and character-building.

“Today marks the beginning of what we hope will become one of Guyana’s premier youth sporting events and an important platform for nurturing the next generation of cricketers, leaders, and citizens,” Sylvester stated.

“Sport plays a critical role in that future as it teaches lessons that cannot always be learned in a classroom. It teaches discipline, teamwork, resilience, respect, leadership, accountability, and perseverance.

That is why investing in sport is not simply about sponsoring matches or providing equipment. It is about investing in character. It is about investing in youth development.”

The sentiment of reviving school-level cricket resonates strongly within the Guyanese sporting landscape as many of the region’s historical and modern cricketing icons, including West Indies fast bowler Romario Shepherd, initially sharpened their claws in the schoolboy arena.

Karishma Ramnauth, representing the Ministry of Education’s Allied Arts Unit, lauded the initiative, noting that the tournament arrives at a critical juncture to instil positive values, encourage healthy lifestyles, and boost school pride among secondary students.