WHY DID the Government decide to support the West Indies as hosts of the World Cup, and why is it spending so much money preparing for it?
Apart from the bragging rights of having hosted the World Cup, the answer is that, like the other governments in paradise - in the most beautiful corner of the world, the Government of Jamaica, based on what it has been told, believe that more visitors will come to this World Cup than have been to any other World Cup, that thousands upon thousands upon thousands of visitors will flock the region for the matches and the country will make a lot of money, that the tournament will sell Jamaica as a tourist destination, that an unending flow of visitors will flock Jamaica for years after the tournament, and that Jamaica will make plenty money in the years to come.
That is why every effort is being made, including in Jamaica, to make this the best World Cup ever, why so much money is being spent to lavishly renovate stadiums, to build new stadiums - a number of which will be like white elephants afterwards, to upgrade airports and roads, to build hotels, to vastly improve security, to update hospitals with modern equipment, and why schools will be closed and Sunset legislation passed to facilitate easy and comfortable travel from island to island.
A RIGHT TO WONDER
Golding has a right to wonder why - no question about that.
Apart from talking up too late, however, he has missed the boat. The money being spent by the Government in preparation for the World Cup is not to host a cricket tournament: it is simply to ensure, as much as it can, that it benefits from hosting a cricket tournament - probably so much so that it will have enough money to finance things like early childhood education.
- Tony Becca
