By Gordon French
Caribbean Net News Guyana Correspondent
Email: gordon@caribbeannetnews.com

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: The jitters of staging a world event at a spanking new facility built literally from scratch have receded as scores of fans poured into the National Stadium at Providence in Guyana to watch a nation’s dream become reality.

After a 10 minute drive from the capital city of Georgetown, it was evident that the doomsayers had it wrong when Guyana successfully staged the first of six Super Eight Matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC).

Reports that the ICC had wrested away management of the spanking new US$25 million stadium from local officials and threats that other host venues were preparing to accept Guyana’s matches, quickly faded during a nail-biting match between South Africa and Sri Lanka.

President Bharrat Jagdeo, who joined scores of fans, said that he was generally satisfied with his country’s performance.

Apart from early morning rains, the heavens cleared later and opened up to beautiful sunshine, which allowed for “cricket, oh lovely cricket.” Things were not a joyride, but Chief Executive Officer of the Local Organising Committee, Karan Singh said that adjustments will be made. A major challenge remains the parking facilities just outside the stadium, which become slushy when it rains.

“We are very happy with what we were able to achieve despite the huge cloud of uncertainty cast over Guyana by the many doomsayers. Guyana has done it but we are going to look at sections where there could be improvements and we will get better by the time the second match is staged,” Singh stated.

He said that ticket sales are great, with few remaining for the West Indies-Sri Lanka game on Sunday. Before that match bowls off, England will meet a confident Ireland on Friday.

Guyana’s stadium has its genesis in August 2003 when President Jagdeo on his visit to India held discussions with officials of the Indian Government for support in erecting a stadium.

The arrangements secured a US$6 million grant and a US$19 million soft loan from the Indian Government.

In 2004, Guyana won the bid to host CWC 2007 after being awarded the green package that allows a country to host six of the matches of the Super Eight games. Twelve countries had vied for host venue status but Guyana, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts, St Lucia, St Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago were selected.

Shapoorji Paloonji and Company Limited, an Indian firm, was awarded the contract for the construction of the Stadium.