Flying high
Khan’s Chronicles
By Sharief Khan
Guyana Chronicle
April 8, 2007
KITES should be flying higher here tomorrow and all those involved in bringing off the Cricket World Cup matches at the stadium at Providence would be showing their colours with more glee than others.
They deserve the accolades and kites this Easter Monday should be soaring in their honour far and high.
In spite of the gloom and misgivings now surfacing over aspects of the CWC tournament, Guyana has somehow managed to be blessed by some astounding matches (yesterday’s between Bangladesh and South Africa was a shocker) and record crowds for the games so far.
Things have been so good that those who have long, with good cause, associated cricket with rain in this country, now have to look for another refrain besides “Every time they talk ‘bout cricket, water come to me eye…”
Rain and cricket are no longer synonymous in Guyana! Thank God!
It rained more than cats and dogs last week but rain did not stop play at Providence.
Providence has proven providential for Guyana and the sour pusses have been put to shame and flight. Even the rains failed them in their damper plans.
The CWC games here are about over but Providence, in its debut, has carved its name in cricket annals and there’s more to come if Guyana succeeds in its bid for games in the 2010 Champions Trophy.
It’s been a good showing and that’s a lot to be thankful for; so let’s fly the kites with greater alacrity this year.
And if you see Dr. Frank Anthony, Culture, Youth and Sport Minister and chairman of the CWC Local Organising Committee, and his band running around in some kite flying fun tomorrow, give them a hand to get those kites up. They have every reason to be flying high.
He told me last Tuesday that while the number of visitors is lower than what Guyana had projected for the six Super Eight matches, the country can expect benefits long after the games are over.
He said thousands of visitors have come in for the games, noting seats for the game last Sunday between the West Indies and Sri Lanka Sunday at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence were sold out.
He said Guyana had expected more visitors in for the games and reported that “more than six thousand people have come in than for the same period last year”.
“While we have fallen short, the fact is that many people have come into Guyana and once they go back and tell people about the country, it would have a multiplier effect.”
He said the ICC had projected a worldwide TV audience of 2.2 billion for the games but with India and Pakistan out, the number of viewers in those countries would drop.
But, Anthony said, the TV rights had already been sold “so people would still be watching in those and other cricketing countries”.
“People are seeing and learning more about Guyana since that TV audience is still there.”
He said Guyanese in Canada had called him to say they were seeing the matches here on satellite and wanted to see more scenes of their home country during the breaks.
“The investment that we are making now is not only for the immediate future but for a more medium, long term plan where we are targeting people from cricketing countries to come here for other matches or even come to visit us. We want people to know more about Guyana and the CWC puts Guyana prominently on the map”, he said.
He shouldn’t worry too much about getting on the map.
Providence has been providential in that respect.
Take time out and take a bow, guys.