CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC)  – Prime Minister Allen Chastanet and Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett have announced that their countries are hoping to host the 12 boys from a Thailand football team and their coach, who were recently rescued from a flooded cave in the southeast Asian country.

Both Chastanet and Bartlett made the announcement at the Hotel and Tourism Association’s 54th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Harbor Club in Rodney Bay, Gros Islet last Friday.

They said the invitations had been sent and they were waiting a response from authorities.

Chastanet said Jamaica were taking the lead and hoped for a positive development over the next few months.

Bartlett first announced his country’s plans to extend an invitation to the Thai boys and their coach last Thursday.

The 12 boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach, had been trapped in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system since June 23.

Their rescue from the flooded cave by international divers between July 8 and 10 garnered worldwide attention.