Sports
Jonathan Ramnanansingh
After losing sponsorship for all its youth tournaments in 2024, the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) enters 2026 with renewed sponsorship for several of its youth competitions.
TTCB president Azim Bassarath made this welcome announcement at the board’s annual end-of-year luncheon, held at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, on December 17.
Bassarath described this timely boost as a signal of strengthened confidence in the organisation as it enters a packed calendar year with an intensified focus on grassroots development.
The sponsorships will cover the Under-13 and Under-15 inter-zone and North/South Classics, as well as the four-team Under-17 and Under-19 competitions.
“The return and growth of sponsorship signal that confidence in the TTCB has not only been restored but strengthened,” Bassarath said.
The renewed backing comes as the TTCB sharpens its emphasis on youth cricket in 2026.
The board’s loss of sponsorship came in early 2024 as backlash from a now-concluded administrative dispute with then-treasurer Kiswah Chaitoo and a police investigation into another ex-employee’s mismanagement of funds.
Bassarath, however, confirmed that all inter-zone tournaments were completed in 2025, reinforcing the board’s grassroots strategy, and that commitment paid dividends when TT were crowned champions of the West Indies Rising Stars Under-17 50-over tournament at home.
Another significant milestone was the staging of the Under-23 Cup, which concluded recently at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. Bassarath confirmed that the 2025 edition deliberately featured an Under-19 team competing against older opposition.
The initiative was designed to fast-track the growth of the country’s most promising players, exposing them to higher physical, mental and tactical demands in preparation for regional and international cricket.
Additionally, level one coaching courses were completed across most zones in 2025, with arrangements already in place to reach the remaining areas.
Bassarath said that while it was a testing 2025 for the TTCB, it also strengthened the organisation, providing clarity and direction heading into 2026.
He added that the U15 inter-zone tournament bowls off on January 28, followed by the U19 inter-zone competition from February 20. The U19 tournament begins on March 25, the U17s on April 1, and the U13 inter-zone tournament from April 23.
Despite the absence of a regional Under-17 competition in 2026, the TTCB has opted to retain its local U17 tournament, stressing the importance of protecting and developing players in that age group.
Beyond the field, the TTCB will partner with SporTT to host club development seminars across all zones and in Tobago, aimed at improving governance, administration and sustainability.
A coaching caravan is also set to launch early in the new year, travelling to Toco, Blanchisseuse, Mayaro and Point Fortin, targeting boys and girls under 20 years.
TTCB general secretary and attorney Henry Chase echoed the president’s sentiments, noting that the return of sponsorship was a positive indicator of restored confidence in the board, after what he described as a “turbulent 2025.”
