T&T Bids to Host World Cup Final

The government of Trinidad and Tobago, in conjunction with the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control (TTCBC), is making strong representation to have the final of the 2007 Cricket World Cup held in this country.

This was revealed by T&T Minister Roger Boynes and local cricket board CEO Alloy Lequay at the Sports Ministry in Port of Spain last weekend.

Boynes explained that Prime Minister Patrick Manning had met recently with Lequay, officials of the Queen?s Park Cricket Club and members of several other organisations to discuss the staging of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.

He added that his government has to prepare itself to host the largest-ever sporting event to be held in the region. ?We will be meeting soon to name a Local Organising Committee, which will comprise representatives of the Ministry of Sports and TIDCO, among others,? Boynes, who seemed confident his party would be returned to office following today's General Elections, said.

Boynes stated that facilities at the Queen?s Park Oval, National Cricket Centre, Balmain and Bacolet in Tobago are to be upgraded to suit. Lequay added that the TTCBC and the Government would soon submit proposals to have six World Cup matches played here.

?We will be making a bid to host six games, among them four preliminary matches, one quarter-final and the grand final,? Lequay stated.

The TTCBC will soon be the recipient of a US 100 000 grant from the Sports and Culture Fund, to pay outstanding bills, which were incurred in the construction of the National Cricket Centre and the Sir Frank Worrell Development Centre. Boynes gave this assurance to TTCBC officials, after consultation with board members of the Sports and Culture Fund.

* SOURCE: Guyana Chronicle.