GINA, August 22, 2006...Guyana is fully charged and ready to go for the Cricket World cup (CWC) in 2007 and with 202 days remaining, President Bharrat Jagdeo has charged the nation to ensure that they give their best to make the event a truly national effort, despite the outcome of the August 28 Elections. Next April, Guyana would be hosting the Group C Super VIII matches.

“I want to say to you (workers at the stadium) and to Guyana that whatever happens on Monday, this must go on because this is our country on show and we must all work together. After the Elections all the political parties have to work together to ensure that when we host Cricket World Cup, we put on the best Guyanese show ever…this is not political, it is national,” the Head of State told workers during a site visit to check on the progress of the US$25M stadium.

Technical Consultant Walter Willis today said that the stadium will be completed in 72 days. The stadium is being built in three parts, and the Indian government is financing the main part, while the Guyana Government is responsible for the pitch and field and the external works.

He noted that workers have assured that the main works would be done on time, as well as the external works, which entailed additional site filling.

When 50 percent of the site filling is completed, the internal drains would begin. The stadium is being financed through a US$6M grant from the Indian Government and a US$19M soft loan from an Indian bank to the Guyana government.

While the games would be played at the Providence stadium, the President pointed out that the venue is Guyana and not just the stadium. “We are here to witness the construction of the physical facility. But the stadium is not the venue, Guyana would be and therefore we have to make sure that all the pieces in the chain are ready for us to host one of the third largest sporting event in the world,” he said.

He noted that this is a small undertaking for the Caribbean, which accounts for nine of the host venues, since the countries have not had similar experiences, “but I am confident with the will of our people here in Guyana and with the help from many of our international friends, particularly India, we would be able to put on a show that would make Guyana proud.

The President recalled the doubters who did not believe Guyana had the capacity to raise the funds for the stadium and even construct it on time.

“I am sure when it is completed, we would have confounded our critics and this will ensure that future generations to come in Guyana would all have a place to play at that is of international standard. It would allow us to host not only CWC but many other international events so that Guyana would be on show,” he added.

Guyana, like the rest of the Caribbean is expecting huge dividends from the CWC games, primary among which is the tourism boost and that is why large sums have been budgeted and are being spent to improve the appearance of the country and train people with the necessary skills to market the country during that period.

“It’s an opportunity to tell people around the world that we are open for business so investors may want to come and that we are open for tourism. The preparations that we are making to host CWC will give a big stimulus to the tourism industry,” he said.

Speaking on the accommodation for CWC, the Head of State expressed satisfaction with the hotels being built and those already prepared.

“Some of the hotels are going to be ready and in September we intend to construct some houses that are going to be available for CWC. I am satisfied with what’s going on so far that we’d be ready to host CWC. These houses are additional, which we intend through private contractors to construct. The houses are going to be available for the period we are hosting the World Cup and then they would be sold on the open market. We have maybe 750 new rooms available [at hotels] and the number keeps changing. We’d also have to do a lot of training for taxi drivers, caterers, persons who work in the hotels and the craftsmen would have an opportunity to sell their products,” he said.

He urged Guyanese to volunteer to clean up the country to enhance its appearance.

While, he admitted that the stadium has been an expensive venture, government has allocated sums necessary to ensure completion. Government has also spent large sums on beautification in the City and the rest of the country.

Construction started in May 2005 and is expected to be completed by October 2006. The construction company, Shapoorji Pallonji, is an Indian firm.

“I am very confident that the stadium would be completed by October 31, 2006,” the Indian High Commissioner Mr. Avinash Gupta said, while the curator, Mr.. Kingston has committed to having the pitch ready to play matches by the second week of October.

Consultant attached to the Design and Supervisory firm Harry Ramlakan said that the Indian standards used in the projects have fully complied with the British equivalent. He noted that at present 91 percent of the works has been completed.

“I am pleased to say that the works are progressing according to programme for completion by end of October,” he said.

The significant progress made also impressed the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Anthony Xavier, who also chairs the Local Organising Committee of the CWC. He noted that while the construction is progressing, Guyanese need to be more environmently -conscious and stop littering.

“We don’t just want people to come for World Cup, but we want when they come for the games, they would want to come again,” he said.

He lambasted persons who are still dumping garbage along the roads and in open areas, adding that everyone must work towards a clean environment “so that at the end of April 2007, we can all be proud.”

President Jagdeo expressed gratitude to all the stakeholders of the project, particularly the Indian Government, the Indian construction company, the Guyanese and Indian workers, the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the CWC Local Organising Committee.