Tourism Minister Honours Indo-Trinidadian Heritage at Arrival Day as Chaguanas Cricket Camp Returns with West Indies Stars
Chaguanas, the heart of Indo-Trinidadian civic life, saw the Indian community celebrated from the highest levels of government this season, while a grassroots cricket programme continued to build young talent across the community.
🪔 Tourism Minister Praises Indian Community at Arrival Day Celebrations
Tourism Minister Senator Randall Mitchell joined members of the Indo-Trinidadian community in Chaguanas to mark Indian Arrival Day, offering praise for the enduring contributions of the Indian diaspora to Trinidad and Tobago. At the celebration, the minister was photographed greeting Dr Deokipersad Nanan, president of the National Council for Indian Culture, while Chaguanas West Member of Parliament Dinesh Rambally also attended. Indian Arrival Day, observed on May 30, commemorates the date in 1845 when the first ship carrying Indian indentured labourers arrived in Trinidad. Chaguanas, which holds the largest concentration of people of Indian descent in Trinidad and Tobago, serves as one of the principal venues for Arrival Day observances each year. The Tourism, Culture, and the Arts portfolio held by Senator Mitchell gives added weight to official recognition of Indian cultural heritage within the national calendar. Dr Nanan's National Council for Indian Culture has long been at the forefront of preserving practices, languages, and traditions brought by the estimated 143,000 indentured workers who arrived on the island between 1845 and 1917. The Arrival Day commemorations in Chaguanas blend official ceremony with cultural performances, prayers, and community gatherings that honour both the sacrifices of the indentured generation and the legacy they built across the twin-island republic. [4]
MP Rambally and Central Sports Club Launch Eight-Week Cricket Camp for Chaguanas Youth
Central Sports Club of Invaders Recreational Ground in Felicity and Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally launched an eight-week cricket training camp for primary and secondary school students, with sessions running every Sunday from 8:30 am to noon at the ground. The camp was designed to address what Rambally described as the untold psychological hardship inflicted on children by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the goal of helping young people regain their childhood and feel the beneficial impact of a sport such as cricket on their body and mind. Coaches and mentors included current and former players and coaches Rayad Emrit, Imran Jan, Ryan Austin, and Marlon Richards, with additional local players expected to join over the course of the programme. Central Sports Club, founded in 1913, competes in the premiership division of the National League — the highest level of domestic cricket in Trinidad and Tobago. The club's deep roots in the Felicity community, combined with the parliamentary support of MP Rambally, positioned the camp as both a youth development initiative and a community-healing exercise following the disruptions of the pandemic years. Families interested in enrolling their children were directed to contact the organisers on 688-1041, 706-8882, or 68306360. [2]
🎉 National Champions Central Sports Bring T&T and West Indies Stars to 2024 Chaguanas Cricket Camp
National League and T20 Festival champions Central Sports returned in 2024 with an expanded cricket camp featuring a star-studded roster of former and current Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies players. The camp was held every Sunday from 9 am to noon between July 7 and August 25 at Invaders Ground on Maha Sabha Street in Felicity, open to boys and girls aged five to 17. Among the players lending their experience were Rayad Emrit, Imran Khan, and Kjorn Ottley, all of whom represented the TT Red Force, as well as Lendl Simmons, who captained Central Sports to both the National League and the Trinidad T20 Festival crowns in the 2024 season. Club president and owner Richard Ramkissoon announced the camp alongside Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally, who co-piloted the initiative since its launch in the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2021 and 2022. One notable outcome of earlier editions was the development of a women's cricket team: girls who participated in previous camps had progressed to competing in the Women's Cricket Association tournament, demonstrating the programme's lasting impact on cricket development in the Chaguanas community. Additional men's and women's coaches were rostered to ensure all age groups were catered for throughout the season. [3]
Sources: [4] Trinidad Guardian · [2] Trinidad and Tobago Newsday · [3] Trinidad and Tobago Newsday