WIPA, its Executive and Members and the Lay Management Group extend their heart-felt and sincerest condolences to parents of the cricket fans who perished tragically in last Saturday’s calamitous vehicular accident. It has expressed its great shock and deep sadness. The pain of this sudden and unexpected loss is even more distressing on learning that the victims were on their way to witness the cricket and football games—Balls of Fire-- which the players’ representative body and the LAY Management Group had organized at the Queen’s Park Oval to raise funds for charity and to expose spectators, especially the younger ones, to some of the well-known Caribbean craftsmen in the games. Among the Directors of LAY Management are Brian Lara and Dwight Yorke. They together with Dinanath Ramnarine, and Daren Ganga participated in the games.

We, like the parents and relatives of the deceased, have difficulty coming to terms with the sudden loss of life of these innocent fans who would have planned with other members of the Shri Pritiv Devi Ashram of Fyzabad Road South Oropouche to spend the evening watching the prominent cricket and football stars, including Brian Lara, Dwight Yorke, Chris Gayle and Russell Latapy entertain them.

Like Ramnarine who is out of the country at the moment, Brian Lara, arguably the best batsman the world has ever seen, could not believe what he was hearing, especially since he had met some of the victims and injured ones sometime ago in a camp.” What a tragedy has befallen the family of these sports fans who were journeying from deep south to come to the games. I, too, share the agony of the parents, being a parent myself. As we mourn the victims of this catastrophic incident, I appeal to drivers of vehicles to exercise much patience, to show greater respect for other road users and to realize that responsible driving could save their own lives. On behalf of my Group and on my own behalf, I convey my deepest sympathies to the bereaved relatives”.

Dinanath Ramnarine, who played in Saturday’s games, said: “As a parent myself with young children, a brother, a cricket fan and past West Indies cricketer, I am at a loss for words to communicate my emotion and sadness at this horrific tragedy. Representatives of WIPA, LAY Management and the players will be visiting the parents to see in what way we can be of assistance to the families.”

On hearing of the loss of lives of the fans, Chris Gayle said “My fellow players and I are deeply saddened to learn that some fans on their way to the games had died so tragically in a vehicular accident. We wish to extend our sincerest condolences to their relatives and wish the injured a speedy recovery.

Daren Ganga, Captain of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket team, Assistant Secretary of WIPA and West Indies player, also commented on the accident.“ I feel the pain and the loss very much, especially since in the last few weeks I have been interfacing with a number of youngsters who have been attending summer camps where I am one of the resource personnel. There is no doubt that they were avid cricket fans, leaving the deep south so early to come to
the Oval for the games. My sympathies go out to the bereaved relatives”, Ganga states.

“I am deeply saddened by this accident and express my sincerest condolences to the families and friends of the victims”- Russell Latapy

“My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims in this time of mourning. It is a tragic event of which I will not soon forget.”
– Dwight Yorke