Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports and Community Development, Senator Oscar George has advised the Dominican public to position themselves to do what is required to reap maximum benefits whenever international cricket is played in Dominica.
His advice came as Dominica is preparing to host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
The Windsor Park Sports Stadium in Dominica is among seven venues in the Caribbean that will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 from June 4 to 30. The International Cricket Council (ICC) on September 22 confirmed that Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago, will host games along with three venues in the USA –Dallas, Florida and New York.
“What I will advise is that we make the most of any international game that comes to our shores,” George said.
He continued, “Just to host an international cricket match the government has to find in the region of $US200,000 to contribute to the organizers to help defer their cost. As you know cricket is a very expensive sport, but we continue to invest in cricket because we believe that there exists a significant multiple effect through the local economy when cricket comes to the Windsor Park.”
George said he is delighted that Dominica was named among the seven venues in the region for the World Cup.
“First of all, I am very delighted that a major ICC Tournament is to be hosted in the Caribbean. We all know of the tremendous benefits that hosting these other events can have on a country, far less on a small island like Dominica, so we are very excited to be named among the seven venues in the region for the World Cup next year,” he stated.
He commended the respective governments of all the seven countries who have been confirmed.
“As you know it’s the governments who expressed their willingness through a bid to be considered for this game, so hats off to all of them, and in our case, we had the initial discussions with Cricket West Indies as it relates to potentially hosting the games,” George noted. “We did some groundwork in terms of assessing what we would need to do to actually be able to host and then submitted through a formal bid expressing our interest in hosting the games.”
Furthermore, he commended the ministry staff, the permanent secretary, and of course the administration staff for being so diligent in this entire process.
“So now that we have been confirmed there are various terms and conditions as well as financial obligations on central government that we will be required to make or to do to make it a reality,” he stated.
He went on to state that these obligations will be discussed among the senior technical officials and the government will review and advise on the specific approach that will be taken as it relates to the upcoming tournament.
“But all-in-all we are just happy for getting to this stage,” George noted.
I self ain’t got time for long story.
Mr. George, Mr. George, Mr. George, where the stadium lights that should have been installed months ago?
What about Football? Before Wondsor Park Stadium and Carnival City used to have regular football. Club matches, interschool, OECS regional etc. What about Basketball? Netball? Volleyball? It seems that the stadium was constructing with mostly only cricket in mind. All you KILLING SPORTS IN DOMINICA! The sports committees, associations and clubs are also failing. They are all lobbying bodies that should be pressuring the government for better sporting facilities that are suitable for sports international sports people in 2023, not 1998. NONSENSE WE DOING IN THAT COUNTRY and people like George and the rest of the government dont seem to get that. Look now i see they dumping loads of dirt all over the Pottersville savanna. i suppose is from the Goodwill secondary they have Chinese constructing for Dominican people.
@If we knew better, why don’t you put yourself in a position to improve the situation. In 1998 Dominica could not bid to host any international sporting tournament. Now instead of traveling to Antigua, Barbados or St. Lucia to watch test match cricket or ODI’s Dominicans can now watch these international tournaments at the Windsor Park.
Boy you should be ashamed to open your silly mouth to mention that government have to give or contribute US$200,000 dollars to get the event.
If that’s the case you have actually confirmed that Dominica isn’t as rich as Roosevelt try to impress on you all, including you that it is!
Two hundred thousand dollars in United States currency amounts to EC$540,000 dollars.
There are foreigners with billions of dollars in their name in foreign banks, belonging to Dominica, why don’t you demand that Roosevelt get the $540,000 from the billion’s you all have hidden to be used in defraying the cricket expenses.
If you can’t afford something leave it alone!
The advantage you are telling people to take is to sucker them to pay for a license to sell in tray’s inside and alongside the street.
That’s another poor and corrupted strategy to raise money to pay for something your corrupted government can’t afford!
I don’t know how you so called ministers of government are so ignorant that you don’t even know when you all are embarrassing yourself.
Dominica is not the only place people play cricket! The game is played in many places in the world these days. There was a time when Test cricket was only played four places in the Caribbean, until the Antiguan’s bribe someone to get it in Antigua. Prior that, the other places are England, Australia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and South Africa, which refused to play the West Indies during their apartheid era.
I said all of that to say,never once I heard a government advised anyone to capitalize on cricket.
What is in cricket to take advantage of?
If that clown means people should all get trays of mangoes and ripe bananas to sell to people; the attendees will be all Dominicans anyway; so they can sell to them when the five day games are over!
Then I need to question Mr George as to what is his government doing or planning to do to capitalize on the occasion of an international cricket match being played in Dominica?. There is a lot that his ministry and the other ministries can do to highlight the country, it’s achievements, it’s vision for the country going forward on occasions like this. Simply lobbying for hosting the match and putting up the money can’t be all that the government can do. Let’s get creative and maximize the opportunities for the country and private sector.