Jamaica
News - Real Estate - Sports
Source: BBC News, March 3, 2007)
Jamaica geared up for World Cup
The Cricket World Cup will
be watched by more than a billion people and it is expected that as many as
80,000 fans will make the trip to the West Indies to see the matches in person.
For the nine island nations
that are hosting the event this has meant months, sometimes years of
preparation.
In Kingston, Jamaica, as in many
of the other host cities, last-minute work is still going on.
Many of the city's streets are
still undergoing construction work, adding to the congestion that characterises
the capital's main roads.
The capital's Mayor, Desmond
McKenzie, says it has been a huge task - one that has thrown up many challenges.
"We might not have
anticipated what it really entails in terms of the time when we started,"
he says showing the strain of months of endless projects.
"But it is a major, major
event that has a whole lot of components and for me it offered so much in terms
of what was required to put it on, but we have finally got control of it and
we're moving forward."
Old Glory
At one of Kingston's historic
cricket grounds, that progress shows.
Sabina Park has been home to
the game for about two centuries.
The old wooden building that is
the Kingston Cricket Club is now overshadowed by new state of the art stands and
a pristine pitch that is being constantly watered under the hot sun.
Denzel Wilkes, the venue
manager for the park, says fans will be impressed by the facilities of a ground
that will now hold just under 20,000 fans.
"We like to believe that
this is the premier cricket ground in the Caribbean," he says, glancing at
the works which cost just over $29m (£15m).
"All the stands are
completed, we have some minor things to do. We have really taken this facility
to another level and I think that the public at large are really beginning to
warm to the event."
Kids not invited
At the Dallas Strikers Cricket
Club for boys and girls in the Red Hill Gardens neighbourhood they are already
passionate about the sport.
The children play with plastic
bats and stumps, many are dressed in little more than rags.
Admission prices will exclude
them from experiencing seeing their heroes play in person.
"They should have made a
special reservation for the kids to come to the World Cup... to let them see
what it's like, the nearness of the players and the togetherness of the
cricket," says Lenrod Higgins, the club's president.
Ready to go
People in Jamaica are getting
excited about what will be an important event for the people and economies of
the West Indies.
Gregg, who runs a food stall
on the Red Hill Road, says fans should experience Jamaica for themselves and
ignore the bad reputation some think the island has.
"Come on and see what
Jamaica is all about, enjoy the sunshine. Original style you know."
For its part, Jamaica seems
ready to host the World Cup.
According to officials from the
other host nations, all the other facilities are also being touched up but are
essentially completed.
The advice for those planning
to travel and follow their teams is: book accommodation early. In some places
that may mean staying with host families to make up for the shortfall in hotels.
Other than that, just enjoy the
cricket and warmth of the Caribbean people.
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