By Paras Ramoutar
Port-of-Spain, Oct 24(IANS) Faces were seen streaming with tears. The loud noises from the bars throughout Trinidad and Tobago were simmering down as the match progressed.

Most government offices and corporate and business staff sat in bars, television rooms and other public places giving moral support and praying as the match was played down to the last wicket.

But everyone wore red, white and black, the country’s national colours and that of the national flag and remains proud and elated of the performance of its cricket team despite it losing to New South Wales in the Airtel Champions League T20 in Hyderabad on Friday.

Deryck Murray, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Council, said the team’s performance was, “excellent

and magnificient”. All the people of Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean are proud of their acheivement, he said.

Julian Hunte, president of the West Indies Cricket Board, said that the T&T team had done well ands worthy of commendation.

Congress of the People leader, Winston Dookeran, said in a congratulatory note that Darren Ganga and his team have done the cricketing world and moreso, the citizens of India who Trinidadians are. “Your team have achieved hero status.” This was the last of several notes sent to the team in Hyderabad.

Former sports minister Manohar Ramsaran hailed their participation in the series as “a tremendous success, and whatever the outcome of Friday’s match, we will still honour, respect and emulate your team work and solidarity as men of oustanding qualities.”

Several corporate organisations and community groups have plannee civic receptions and honours for Captain Ganga and his men. The Mayor of the Borough of Chaguanas, Natasha Nivas plan to give them the keys to the borough. The Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation led by its chairman, Councillor Ranjit Ramnarine, have planned a civic reception and award for the team soon after their return.

No word has come from the Trinidad and Tobago government as to what rewards would be given to the team. An opinon poll conducted by a television station concurred that despite losing, the team represented this oil-rich republic exceedingly well.

Trinidad and Tobago’s population of 1.3 million people is made up of 44 per cent of Indian extraction whose forefathers were sourced from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar between 1845 and 1917.

(Paras Ramoutar can be contacted at paras_ramoutar@yahoo.com)