Windies anthem to be redone
Stabroek News
April 17, 1999
The West Indies Cricket anthem will be redone to correct the much
talked about inaccuracy in the lyrics which inadvertently excludes
Guyana's involvement.
Guyana Cricket Board present Chetram Singh Chetram Singh said
yesterday he has been assured by West Indies Cricket Board marketing
director Chris Dehring that the adjustment will be done after the current
tour by Australia is finished.
Released this year in time for the Australian tour, the anthem, composed
and performed by popular Trinidad musician David Rudder refers to the
participating countries as islands excluding Guyana, one of the founding
countries of the sport in the region, which is the lone continental territory
and by far the largest.
Singh said he was told by Dehring that the problem was an oversight and
that it would be corrected. The anthem has been used widely in the
territories which hosted games in the Test and one-day series so far. It
is debatable whether the anthem will be fully accepted when the tour
comes here for the Guyana leg next week.
Singh said security will be tight for Wednesday's one-day International
at the GCC ground Bourda where 125 policemen will be deployed mainly
to deal with pitch invasions by spectators.
The GCB president said the penalty of expulsion of spectators who
invade the pitch will be rigidly enforced.
Singh disclosed that the paying crowd capacity for the GCC is 10,200
and even if tickets are sold out the match will not likely be televised live
in Guyana.
He expects the West Indies Board to stick to its policy of not allowing
live coverage wherever matches are played. He however added, that the
last one-day international in Grenada was an exception. " Grenada was
a special case as the match was being played for the first time at the new
facility and it was sold out two days in advance," he disclosed.
Tickets for Wednesday's game is going fast as the Rohan Kanhai,
Kenny Wishart and Lance Gibbs were sold out yesterday. However,
tickets were available for the Clive Lloyd, Shell, Banks Mound Stand,
Schoolboys and Rails up to press time. Sales will continue today and
tomorrow from 9 am to 2 pm.
Meanwhile entries for the Bowling for Dollars competition ended
yesterday afternoon. Seven ticket holders each from Caricom countries
which hosted ODI or Test matches will have an opportunity to win US$1
million.
The seven lucky participants will be flown to Barbados for the
preliminary competition next week Saturday while the final is set for the
next day--Sunday 25.
The draw to determine the seven lucky ticket holders is set for tomorrow
in Trinidad.
|