MONDAY marks the fourth anniversary of the death of former Merry Boys president Patrick Rampersad.

Rampersad was the heart and soul of the club. He was an involved president as he was one of the few owners you could call to get cricket scores.

This reporter, who entered the media in 2013, would call Rampersad for scores and he would always be ready to provide them. 678-1016 was a number I knew by heart.

He was always pleasant and accommodating to the media and would give the scores so quickly you had to learn to write fast to keep up.

Rampersad was instrumental in TT cricket as he served as a TT Cricket Board executive member until his death.

Merry Boys have been a powerhouse winning multiple titles as the Diego Martin-based club won the National League in back-to-back years in 2002 and 2003.

In 2008, Merry Boys lifted the crown again and this reporter had the pleasure of covering the team’s title-winning season in 2014.

Rampersad, a well-known and charismatic businessman, kept the club afloat.

New president Sebastian Edwards and captain/coach Mario Belcon believe in the potential of the club and are determined to see it reach the pinnacle again.

LIFE WITHOUT PATRICK

“It has been very harsh to call it nicely since Patrick has died,” Belcon said.

“A lot of times players take things for granted. (I am) not saying that we took him for granted, but now we see the importance of him being around, waking up early eight o’clock every day (and) not like owners who would just pay somebody to do that. He was a hands-on man…he governed it with love and responsibility.”

Belcon said Rampersad knew how to run a club.

“As a prominent businessman he also knew how to make the dollars and cents work and now that he is gone we not starved for talent, but no kind of funding (is coming)…input from the business community of Diego Martin is very rough.”

Belcon said Edwards is doing his “best” to fill the void.

Attracting sponsorship has had its challenges, Belcon said.

“We have been around begging for sponsorship. A lot has been promised, (but) little has been given. We still thankful for the little that was given and we hope that in the near future somebody get involved and see that this is not just helping a big name in cricket stay alive, but also protecting a community and giving opportunities to youngsters who could be lost in the system.”

Discussing the loss of Rampersad, Edwards said, “For me personally it was tough, it has been really tough. The club has gotten by with help from a few friends of mine who have made some contributions just to keep things going on a daily basis.”

Edwards said it has been tough to pay players their match fees.

[caption id="attachment_960476" align="alignnone" width="1024"] In this May 19 file photo, president of Merry Boys Cricket Club Sebastian Edwards (L) and captain Mario Belcon speak at the Diego Martin Sporting Complex in Diego Martin. - AYANNA KINSALE[/caption]

“Cricket is an expensive sport. I have gotten a couple people to sponsor one or two guys some