LBI Cricket facility should be ready by November

May 12, 2009 Sports

GCB still owed US$90,000 by Stanford – Singh

Chetram Singh

Allen Stanford

Now that all of the paperwork problems which delayed the start of the construction of the LBI Guyana Cricket Board Hostel, training Gym and indoor practice facility is out of the way, President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Chetram Singh says the project should be fully completed by November.

The GCB has issued a public tender for a contractor to commence work. “It is now just a matter of getting things started since we have the money and permission from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports to use the LBI ground,” Singh informed yesterday.
The LBI project include a Hostel to accommodate 32 people, kitchen, caretaker quarters, a gym, an indoor practice area equipped with two artificial pitches, lights and a bowling machine. Singh says the estimated cost of the entire venture is G$60 million.

Singh explained that although the Stanford 20/20 Organisation still owes the GCB US$90,000, funding for the LBI project is not a problem.
“We are using our share of the money from the last World Cup to complete the facility at LBI and we are putting in two full length 120 feet pitches in the indoor nets so that the fast bowlers can have a run-up.
The indoor nets and lighting will be similar to the one in Trinidad at the National Cricket Centre in Cova, but the bowlers’ run-up will be longer,” Singh explained.
Singh informed that while GuySuCo was a part of the initial discussions, the LBI venue is owned by the Guyana Government.

He added that the GCB will also have control of the cricket ground and shortly the pitch and ground will be prepared.
“We will have a complete cricket venue with a ground, indoor nets, gym and a hostel, and when completed this should be of tremendous value to the pre-tournament perpetration of our national teams,” Singh opined.
Because of the December rainy season the Guyana first-class team usually leave this country with very little practice for regional tournaments which start in January, while the same happens with the Guyana under-19 side, since the regional youth tournaments are played in July and August, just after Guyana May/June rainy period.

Singh said he is very pleased that this important project will be finally completed since because of the amount of rain in Guyana, an indoor facility is badly needed for our cricketers.
This could be Singh’s final term of office as GCB President, a position which he occupied since 1991, and he says that a successful hosting of next year’s 20/20 World Cup towards the end of April and the completion of the LBI facility are the two major things he is looking forward to.
Guyana, along with St Lucia and Barbados will host matches in the 2011 Twenty/20 World Cup while St Kitts will host the female version of the competition.
(Sean Devers)

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