Karan Singh thinks Providence Stadium is ready
-looking forward to positive comments from ICC delegation
By Donald Duff
Stabroek News
November 16, 2006
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Local Organ-ising Committee (LOC) for Cricket World Cup 2007 Karan Singh said yesterday he thought the Providence Stadium would pass today's final Venue Assessment Test by the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Venue Assessment Team.
A high-level delegation comprising ICC, Cricket World Cup (CWC), Global Cricket Corporation (GCC) and Nimbus officials is expected in Guyana today for a one-day visit where they will tour the stadium site and give an assessment of its state of preparedness for the hosting of what will be the biggest sporting event in the region, the 2007 World Cup cricket competition.
"To all intents and purposes I think we are more than ready and I am looking forward to some very positive comments," Singh told Stabroek Sport last night.
"The media will have an opportunity to hear from Cricket World Cup how Guyana has done so far," Singh added.
The 23-member team will include Venue Development Director and Chief Operations Officer of ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Donald Lockerbie, Managing Director and CEO Chris Dehring, ICC Liaison Officer; Chris Tetley; SKM Consul-tant Bob Laing; Rick Jemison; Broadcast Manager for GCC, Events Manager Trudy Clarke; Security Director John Collymore, Media and Accreditation Manager Mandy Keegan; Chief Operations Director of CWC Michael Hall; ICC Pitch Consultant Andy Atkinson and Ron Hope, Regional Security Manager.
Lockerbie said officials from the rights holders as well as official suppliers for the tournament were also expected to join the officials on the trip.
"It's very important, this tour. It was 18 months ago when the ICC identified this tour as the most critical tour of all. It is most critical to show the region's readiness. We are trying to have the officials and assessors share the confidence we have," the Barbados Nation newspaper quoted Lockerbie as saying.
"We are trying to get all venues as ready as possible. . .with all the permanent sections ready. They will have to be finished by December 31. After that, we will move into the overlay (temporary) aspects of our infrastructure."
So far only Warner Park Stadium in St Kitts and Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia have been given a green rating since they are the only two stadia to have been completed by the October 31 date. The Providence Stadium's rating is blue.
"We are at the stage of implementation, we have moved on from the planning. We are moving on at full speed," Lockerbie said.
The delegation would be looking at the various aspects of the Providence Stadium as well as those of the two venues that would be used by the visiting teams for practice sessions, the GCC ground, Bourda and the Everest Cricket Club.
The team after inspecting the stadium will divide into two groups with Group `A' doing an assessment of Buddy's Hotel and Group `B' visiting GCC, Bourda, Everest Cricket Club ground, Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel, Cara Suites, Cara Lodge and the Grand Coastal Hotel.
The team will also look at Guyana's transportation system and the security arrangements.
Guyana has been identified to host the six Super Eight matches, beginning April 7 next year.