After embarking on a career in engineering in his 20s, computer engineering to be precise, Roy Singh started to see a different vision for himself and his field of work.
As opportunities for engineers were changing rapidly, Singh decided to resign from his full time job and start a consulting firm. When that arena became too saturated he made his next move and shifted his focus to software development.
He launched a company, which developed logistical software for the transportation sector. But sustaining success in this venture proved to be difficult when the dot com bubble burst in 2001. Singh had been about to take his company public but instead decided to sell the company and start consulting again—this time for list companies in the U.S. market.
In 2007 Singh would meet the President of Guyana, a country he had been very interested in exploring, specifically for gold. One conversation led to many more and today his company has exploration land of 125,000 acres in Guyana, South America.
”I’ve always been very stubborn when it comes to insisting on thinking outside the box. Maybe that’s a fault. But you have one shot at life. You make your best moves and then you move on.”
Today this native from Trinidad and Tobago, who came to Canada at the age of 16, has been led by his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for cricket. He’s become the driving force behind bringing cricket to the forefront in Canada through the Canadian Premier League T20 LP.
Business has always been his passion and becoming a success in business has captivated his imagination from a young age. This drive has been translated into his efforts to elevate cricket to the level of other mainstream sports in Canada and ultimately North America.
Between the rise in T20 cricket—a faster version of the sport, which lasts 21/2 hours—the enormous market for the sport and the potential to develop a league on par with the NBA, MLB and NHL, Singh believes that now, more than ever is the time to develop and showcase talent in Canada and tap into this burgeoning sector.
“No matter the obstacles you come across you must stay positive and focused. Never waver or be afraid. Keep your head up and move forward.”
Given the number of immigrants now living in Canada, who hail from countries where cricket is a prominent sport, it’s hard to disagree. The Indian Premier league has 112 million North American viewers. This has grown from 3 million in just the past 5 years.
Singh says he has always had a desire to leave a legacy—something by which all Canadians will benefit. The Canadian Premier League is hoping to launch its league in 2015/2016 pending the Sanctions from the governing body Cricket Canada.
