CWC took over stadium management a month later than scheduled
By Miranda La Rose
Stabroek News
March 25, 2007
The ICC CWC West Indies Inc took over the management of the Guyana National Stadium at Providence from the Guyana Local Organizing Committee (LOC) almost one month later than it was initially scheduled to do under the Host Venue Agreement (HVA), because a number of works were still incomplete.
In a race against time, work in and around the stadium yesterday involved massive cleaning and the testing of fittings.
Meanwhile the teams, Sri Lanka and Ireland, have already arrived to play in the Super Eight matches in Guyana.
Also expected to arrive in the country today to conduct a final venue and systems check is the ICC CWC 2007 Venue Development Director and Chief Operating Officer, Don Lockerbie.
According to reliable sources, the ICC CWC West Indies 2007 Inc-appointed venue manager for the Providence stadium, Andrew Sharp, has been in the country since March 19 to oversee the completion of all the preparations for the event. The source said that though the Providence stadium would "be ready" for the event, many of the systems have not been "put to the test" but they would be in operation for the first time on the first match day, Wednesday. Asked what the systems were, the source did not elaborate except to caution that they could be considered important enough to be "a humbug."
Stabroek News understands that in keeping with the provisions of the HVA, the Guyana LOC was unable to hand over the stadium in February as was required because a number of works were still outstanding.
This led the ICC CWC West Indies Inc 2007 to inform the Guyana LOC that it had lost confidence in its capacity to "deliver a fully functional operating Super Eight venue in accordance with your contractual obligations."
The ICC CWC West Indies Inc 2007, through its Senior Legal Counsel Derek Jones, had dispatched a strongly worded e-mail in which he had informed the LOC that the CWC was appointing its own representatives on the ground instead of those recommended by the Guyana LOC.
In a brief telephone exchange, Jones told Stabroek News that the ICC CWC's main concern at this point in time was for all the parties involved in the organising of the event to work together to make it the best Cricket World Cup ever.
This newspaper understands also that the outstanding works which should have been completed before the venue was handed over were completed earlier this week by the GL Events overlay company.
While not wishing to be interviewed, the GL Events manager on the ground told this newspaper that the work the company was undertaking was proceeding "very good." Stabroek News had earlier said that GL Events was a British company, when in fact it is a French one, headquartered in Paris with branches worldwide.
GL Events, which had been working on the overlay over the past three to four weeks, completed the accreditation centre, media centre, video board, turnstiles, venue graphics and other critical services last week.
It was these works which had been a source of concern for the ICC CWC West Indies Inc 2007. Power distribution is being handled by Guyana Power and Light, which has two large stand-by generators to meet any emergency demands.
This newspaper understands that one of the causes of concern for the LOC was the fact that the costs quoted by GL Events for its services were exorbitant and some of the facilities GL Events was providing were also readily available in Guyana, including the stand-by generators. It was this which had led to the delay in meeting payments to GL Events.
Meanwhile the first match is set for Wednesday between South Africa and Sri Lanka. Ireland is also set to meet England on March 30; and Ireland will play South Africa on April 3.
Chairman of the LOC and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony told the media on Friday that tickets were still available for all the matches and in all of the categories with the exception of the April 1 match between West Indies and Sri Lanka. All the tickets in Category Two (US$75) and Three (US$25) have been sold out but tickets are still available in category One (US$100) and the Party Stand (US$90).
Dr Anthony said he thought that the reason for selling out in the two categories was because the home side, the West Indies, would be playing on that day.
He is urging spectators not to wait for the last minute to get their tickets for all the matches.
On the traffic arrangements, he reiterated that the eastern carriageway would be closed to the public on match days from 6:00 hrs to 11:00 hrs and from 15:00 hrs to 20:00 hours. This carriageway would be a dedicated lane for the CWC 2007 Super Eight matches.
On the western carriageway there would be provision for two-way traffic.
In addition no parking would be allowed from Buddy's International Hotel to Greenfield Park. Any vehicle that is parked in the area would be removed.
He noted, too, that a bus company with some experience in transportation would be providing the services for the park-and-ride. Vehicles using the park-and-walk facility at Providence are advised to buy their tickets which are now available at the LOC office on Middle Street, South Cummingsburg. The tickets cost $1,000 on a daily basis and Dr Anthony is also urging persons not to wait till the last minute. "Even if four people go with a car, it is still $1,000" for the parking ticket, he said.
Persons using the park-and-ride facility would join the buses at the National Cultural Centre and at the Diamond Community Centre Ground.