– GCB President Chetram Singh
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the setting up of an indoor cricket facility which the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has received from the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) is flawed, according to president of the GCB Chetram Singh.
he GCB president said that when the MoU was discussed with the board it was found that the terms and points highlighted by GUYSUCO were out of order.
The indoor facility is intended to complement the Providence National Stadium whenever cricket is set to be played there and there are weather disruptions.
In an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport, Singh said that the GCB was seeking a piece of land to set up the facility and La Bonne Intention (LBI) was identified as the location.
And, at present, the GCB has set aside some $1M to start development of the area but because of the delay nothing can be started.
Singh said that the project has been delayed too long and the board had expected the facility to start taking shape by now.
“If the negotiations with GUYSUCO do not produce any results soon the board will have to look elsewhere for a plot of land to build the facility. We intend to start work on the facility before the end of 2008,” Singh told Stabroek Sport.
He also noted that with the present weather pattern favouring construction, he did not want the project to start next year January/February when seasonal rains were expected as this would further delay the project.
The financing to help build the indoor cricket facility should come from part of the Sir Allen Stanford pledge to help the region enhance the game.
In 2006 Stanford had pledged close to $56M dollars to assist 19 regional boards in their development with monies being spent on facilities and infrastructure improvement, practice fields and other equipment, support for players and coaches and maintenance of facilities and equipment.
