Charlestown, Nevis, August 5, 2020 (DBSKN) — The opening of the Livingstone Sargeant Cricket Practice Facility at the Elquemedo T. Willett Park in Charlestown has been hailed by the Minister with responsibility for Sports in the Nevis Island Administration, the Hon Eric Evelyn, who has commended individuals and institutions that worked hard to make it come to reality.
“I must give high commendation to Mr Keeth Arthurton for conceptualising this idea and I believe that Mr Arthurton is a fantastic example of someone who is giving back,” observed the Hon Evelyn on Tuesday August 4 at a ceremony organised by the Ministry of Sports and held at the Elquemedo T. Willett Park to open and name the new Cricket Practice Facility.
Mr Keeth Arthurton, the person behind the Cricket Practice Facility, is a former Senior West Indies Cricket Team player. He was the third of the seven Nevisian cricketers who have worn the Senior West Indies Cricket Team colours. He approached, among others, the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis for funding to start the training facility. The Development Bank was recognised at the ceremony as the facility’s main contributor.
“A lot of the times the island offers quite a bit to some persons but some of us do not give back, and so Mr Arthurton I think you are a fantastic example of someone who is giving back,” noted the Hon Evelyn. “Mr Arthurton is someone who is very persistent, consistent and someone who is passionate about the game of cricket and when I walked in here and I looked at the facility this morning – I was wondering if I was at Lord’s (Cricket Ground in London). I think this is a first class facility and I think Mr Arthurton deserves a special round of applause.”
The Honourable Minister Evelyn, who is also the Federal Minister of Environment and Cooperatives, noted that the retired West Indies Cricketer who runs a cricket academy in St. Kitts had been there through thick and thin to ensure that Nevis has a facility of that nature and he attributed it to excellent collaboration and partnership.
He singled out his Ministry, the Ministry of Social Development, and thanked the Permanent Secretary Mr Keith Glasgow, Assistant PS Ms D. Michelle Liburd, Director of Sports Claxton, and Administrative Officer Mrs Shelly Liburd. He also thanked the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, and the Bank of Nevis.
“The Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis has been an excellent corporate citizen and I do not think we could give too high commendation to (Nevis Branch Manager) Ms Hyacinth Pemberton and her institution, because they have been doing such excellent work,” said the Hon Evelyn who also advised the audience that the bank would be moving into new facility on Chapel Street in Charlestown on Wednesday August 5.
“We ask the Bank of Nevis, and the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis to continue to support us and continue to support sports,” stated the Minister of Sports in the Nevis Island Administration. “Continue to support cricket, because I believe we have some good raw talent here in Nevis that we must continue to exploit.”
The Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis was represented at the ceremony by Nevis-based Director, Mr Stephen Jones, Nevis Branch Manager Ms Hyacinth Pemberton, and Marketing Officer Ms Vernitha Evelyn. The Bank of Nevis was represented by its Marketing Officer Mr Phéon Jones.
Present at the ceremony included the Premier of Nevis the Hon Mark Brantley, and representatives from organisations that would have contributed towards the setting up of the Cricket Practice Facility.
The honouree, Mr Livingstone Sargeant a legendary Nevisian cricketer from Cotton Ground who played for the Combined Islands and the Leeward Islands in the 1960s and the 1970s was not present but was represented by his wife Mrs Mildred Sargeant, and his son Mr Tavo Sargeant who delivered remarks from him.
“I say a special thank you to Mr Keeth Arthurton for recommending that this practice facility be named in my honour, and for seeing it come to reality,” said Mr Livingstone Sargeant through the message read by his son. “A facility such as this is very vital if young cricketers are to improve their game.”
The Nevisian cricketer added: “In my days I was not so fortunate to have anything close to this. I had to get my practice any way I could have, including putting a ball in a stocking on a string in the doorway of my house and hitting it for hours. That is how I got my practice. You now have a real practice facility here and I hope that you will make good use of it.”
In the meantime Minister Eric Evelyn also made a passionate appeal to young cricketers in Nevis to make use of the practice facility and to ensure that it is not vandalised and promised that his Department of Sports will continue to partner with Mr Keeth Arthurton to ensure that the facility is kept in prime form.
“To those who will benefit and use the facility: I think it is an excellent facility and I want the young cricketers in Nevis to take advantage of the facility,” said the Hon Evelyn. “A lot of work, a lot of money, a lot of effort would have gone into the facility and we want the young cricketers of Nevis to take full advantage.”
