BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP):
CRANES PIVOT above the modest Bridgetown skyline as they transform one of the Caribbean's oldest cricket grounds into a sleek, modern stadium - the premier venue for the region's first Cricket World Cup, to be held from March 11-April 28.
Local fans will be rooting for the West Indies team to reach the championship match at the expanded Kensington Oval in April. But with more than 100,000 visitors expected for the largest sporting event ever in the region, Barbados and the eight other host countries have much more at stake.
To convert the spotlight into new investment and tourism, they are racing to finish construction on 12 stadiums, bridge a massive housing gap and fine-tune coordination across sovereign islands. In one all-purpose solution, more than a dozen cruise ships have been enlisted to sleep visitors and ferry them to matches in other countries.
If the 2006 World Cup of soccer highlighted the friendliness of the German hosts, tournament organisers in the Caribbean - a region already known for its parties - aim to show they can be efficient too.
"I think what would be nice is to continue that friendly, inviting hospitality image we have but to show people that things do work very well in the Caribbean," said Chris deCaires, chairman of the Barbados organising committee.
The tiny host countries, spread across the Caribbean, faced doubts they would have facilities ready by the opening ceremony on March 11. With six months to go, organisers say venues for tournament matches are on schedule in Barbados and the seven other countries - Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua, Grenada, Trinidad and Guyana.
"We still, of course, have the entire hurricane season ahead of us, and every time I wake up I go to the weather channel to see what hardball is coming at us," said Don Lockerbie, venue development director for the International Cricket Council.
Back-up venues
Only one stadium seems unlikely to be ready on time. Trinidad's new Brian Lara Stadium, one of the four stadiums hosting warm-up matches, is several months behind schedule and the country has been asked to find back-up venues.
Fears of delays in the US$69 million (€54 million) Kensington Oval, which was demolished to increase seating capacity from 16,000 to 28,000, led the Barbados Prime Minister, Owen Arthur, to take personal responsibility for World Cup preparations. He promised early this year to "move heaven and earth" to get the island ready.
Today spongy grass carpets the new field, remodelled as a near-perfect circle but slightly oblong to preserve the name of the stadium - home to the Pickwick Cricket Club since 1882. Designed for its Caribbean setting, the stadium has underground tanks to drain thousands of gallons of rain water during tropical downpours, and the roof will have translucent panels to soften the shade's contrast with the bright sun.
Cricket has major followings in Europe, Asia and Australia - as well as the former British colonies of the Caribbean. Children play with homemade bats and wickets in dirt patches across Barbados, one of the countries contributing players to a West Indies team seeking its first World Cup title since winning the tournament in 1975 and 1979.
The host countries see their new facilities as national centrepieces that will host concerts, community events and other tournaments well beyond the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Visiting fans, they hope, will return as tourists.
Down the road from Kensington, the centre of Barbados' seaside capital is getting a facelift, with a restored boardwalk and a new central park. Renovations to the airport, national roadways and other infrastructure have been fast-tracked to be finished by the tournament.
Construction boom
Limited by small industrial bases, the islands with populations under 100,000 in some cases have had to look for outside help to fuel the construction boom.
About 500 Chinese labourers are working to rebuild Grenada's National Stadium, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Beijing, which is sharing the cost of the project, is also a partner in the construction of Jamaica's new stadium and contributed US$20 million (€16 million) to build Antigua's facility on the condition that Chinese labor was used. India is a partner in Guyana's new Providence Stadium, providing labor and funding.
A cement shortage hit the Caribbean this year as demand surged, forcing governments to seek supplies from countries including Venezuela, Colombia, and Cuba. "Political leaders and others rose to the occasion," Lockerbie said.
Despite the construction of several new hotels, the region is still well short of having enough beds available for the fans expected during what is already the high tourism season. Barbados, an island of 280,000 people with 9,000 hotel beds, is expecting 30,000 visitors at any one time during the tournament.
Cruise ships booked by sports tourism companies for Australian, South African and other fans will take up some slack. As many as 15 of the ships are expected to dock or anchor off Barbados the weekend of the final April 28.
Several countries are encouraging citizens to convert their homes to bed and breakfasts. In Guyana, the only South American host country, organisers are planning to set up tents and camps to house some of the expected 25,000 visitors.
Organisers call the housing gap a "good crisis".
"That's the passion of cricket that's going to bring them," Lockerbie said. "I think all of our countries are getting prepared for just about anything."
CUP FACT
THE MARCH 11-April 28 event, to be held in the Caribbean, is expected to attract 100,000 visitors to see 16 teams play matches in Jamaica, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua, Grenada, Trinidad, St. Vincent and Guyana. Pre-tournament matches March 2-9. Tickets and travel information available through http://www.cricketworldcup.com/ or 876-929-9011.
