BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – World Twenty20 Championship tournament director Robert Bryan has hailed the region’s response to the tournament, as momentum continues to build towards the start of the showpiece at month end.

“I’m actually unable to tell you in terms of ticket sales but I was in Jamaica in terms of a promotion and there was great energy there,” Bryan stressed yesterday at a media conference in Barbados launching the online live coverage of the competition in the United States.

“We have been to Trinidad, Antigua and St Vincent and other non venue territories and the response was good to the marketing thrust. As to how that translates into ticket sales, I can’t say at the moment.”

The tournament bowls off from April 30 and May 16 across Barbados, St Lucia and Guyana and will involve 12 World teams. Bryan, Jamaica’s Local Organising Committee head for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, said they were pleased with the response to the ticket sales at the venues.

“Across the region, over 62 per cent of all seats available have been sold,” he said.

“Of the 15 match days, three are completely sold out and they are the first match day April 30th where West Indies play Ireland, May 3rd when they play England, both in Guyana as well as the May 16th finals at Kensington Oval.”

West Indies will be based in Guyana where they will contest Group D against England and Ireland and Bryan said they were hoping for a strong performance from the home side to trigger fan interest.

“All of us obviously wish that the team does really well, because I think it is not taking tales out of school to say, that the quality and outcome of the event depends in large measure on the performance of the West Indies team and we want to encourage the team itself to ensure that they bring their A-game to the table,” he stressed.

The preliminary of the women’s tournament will be played in St Kitts with the finals also carded for Barbados.