(GUYANA CHRONICLE)TORONTO, Canada – Ontario’s Women’s Cricket Development Advocate Abigail Rajkumar whose work involves promoting cricket development within the communities while still being an executive of the Superstars Sports Club, women’s, junior and youth teams manager, cricket tournament host, public relations officer and coordinator, is aiming to be the first woman to head Cricket Canada.
The Trinidadian-born Rajkumar, who migrated to Canada just over 30 years ago, is among the four eligible nominated candidates for the election to Cricket Canada’s Board Of Directors (BOD) at the 2017 Annual General Meeting, set for Saturday and Sunday here.
She will, however, face stiff challenges from long-standing and current president Ranjit Saini, Bilal Syed and Manzoor Chaudharry. Rajkumar has also thrown her hat in the vice-presidency race.
Currently the Registrar/Statistician of the Scarborough Cricket Association and also a qualified Canada Cricket Umpires Association (CCUA) Level One umpire, Rajkumar is credited solely with providing endless opportunities for both the women and young male members of Superstars, always striving to promote development at both levels through her passion and impeccable leadership, organisation and management skills.
Along with president and head coach Frank Persaud, the two have been in the forefront of the club’s success in the field of coaching and mentoring since 2009.
Rajkumar is not just content with playing cricket but is also an International Cricket Council (ICC) Level One coach and holds the National Coaching Certificate Programme (NCCP) coaching certificate. She is also a Cricket Canada volunteer school coach and was the Toronto 2015 official cricket coordinator for PanAm/Parapan Am Games.
In 2012, Rajkumar served as the victorious manager for Cricket Canada women’s team at ICC Americas women tournament in Grand Cayman Islands, and is the women’s coordinator on Mississauga Cricket League.
Between 1995 and 1997 she was the team sponsor, manager, scorer and treasurer of GTA Warriors Windball men’s cricket team in the Scarborough softball league and earned the best scorer trophy from the league each year.
In November 2009 Rajkumar had the opportunity to visit Delhi and Mumbai, India for three weeks, for cricket training with the Madan Lall Cricket Academy and also had the chance of embracing the culture, history, cuisine and people of India, an experience she describes as a life-changing journey.
Rajkumar was hired as Cricket Canada women’s team manager/coordinator for the 2012 ICC Americas women’s tournament in Cayman Islands, a tournament Canada won among competing teams from USA, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Argentina.
Rajkumar firmly believes “there are only two options regarding commitment. You’re either in or out. There is no such thing in life as in-between,†and she has been quite exemplary in fulfilling those options.