GEORGETOWN, Guyana (Stabroek News):
CHRIS DE Caires, chairman of Barbados' local organising committee for Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007, is very impressed with Guyana's plans for the Providence Stadium.
In an interview with Guyana newspaper Stabroek Sport, de Caires, in comparing Guyana's plans for the stadium to those of Barbados, said: "The two countries are quite different. Barbados is very heavily dependent on tourism, Guyana is not, so whatever we are doing has a very strong focus towards tourism and affiliated services.
"Guyana's interest will be somewhat different. It doesn't have the same level of infrastructure in that regard, but from the plans I've seen, they are very impressive."
According to de Caires, the Providence Stadium will be a tremendous addition to Guyana's landscape. He, however, said that for Guyana to get maximum benefit, a fair amount of organisation would be needed, and once that was in place, it will be a benefit to the whole country.
"From Barbados' point of view, we see the benefit from the World Cup as significantly more after the World Cup than during the World Cup," de Caires noted.
Asked if the community in which the stadium was being built would be the main beneficiary, de Caires pointed out that the whole country would benefit.
CULTURAL BENEFIT
"It all depends on how it is organised. The chances are, many people from all over the country may be providing supplies, and will actually use it for different events," he said. "You have cultural benefits, since you have another facility, and a good one at that, so you'll get economic benefits being derived from that, because you now have the capability to put something on, and you now have an interest to put it on, because you have to make money to make it pay."
Barbados' local organising committee has been in place since September 2003 and has a permanent staff. Numerous meetings have been held with the police, immigration, business people and others to enlist their support and work out a viable programme. Their bid was submitted in April 2004. Their plan started in 2001 when there was some debate as to whether to redevelop Kensington Oval, or whether to build a brand new stadium.
De Caires said there was a lot of public debate on that issue and the balance was in favour of redeveloping Kensington Oval, since Kensington had a lot of history. It was the ground on which West Indies first played in the West Indies and that was against England.
LARGEST IN THE REGION
According to de Caires, their stadium capacity for the CWC 2007 will be one of the largest in the Caribbean and will cater for 27,000 people.
He, however, explained that while they were catering for 27,000 spectators, there might not be that turnout in the stadium on any given event. He said there will be temporary stands such as those which the West Indies Cricket Board had put up for the English tour.
Asked how work on the Barbados stadium was progressing, de Caires said everything from the old Kensington had been knocked down, and part of the new stadium was being built.
