PLANS for hosting the first-ever Guyana Cricket Carnival are moving apace, with 14 companies officially entering the grand celebration as sponsors.

This was revealed on Wednesday at a press conference held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, where Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr, said that with just a few days left before the kick-off of the weeks-long celebration, plans are shaping up nicely.

The Minister noted that the 17-day cricket carnival festival, which begins on September 16, 2022, is a product that will showcase Guyana in the best possible light, and create a space where the country is recognised as a premium destination for world-class events in the region.

He added that this season of events will offer opportunities to local creatives, since performers will be able to get on the biggest platform, as people from all around the world will be in Guyana to participate in the activities over the period.

Ramson noted that the cricket carnival is also expected to bring significant opportunities for businesses.

Adding to this, Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Oneidge Walrond, during the press conference, said the main objective of Cricket Carnival is to diversify Guyana’s tourism product.

She said this plays into Guyana’s objective of hosting world-class events to attract persons to visit the country.

With this being a first-of-its-kind event for Guyana, Walrond indicated there are plans to continue its hosting over the next three years. The events, she said, will only get bigger and better.

Additionally, as part of the 17-day event lineup, the tourism minister told those present that five bands will be participating in the road parade, as the government has partnered with the private sector in this regard.

Concerning carnival bands, she announced that there will also be a participating band from Florida, United States of America, which is expected to feature soca singers Bunji Garlin and Fayann Lyons.

“Also, this cricket carnival is an opportunity for our regional sisters and brothers to partner with us,” Walrond said.

With that, she further noted that the eyes of the region, and externally, will be turned to Guyana during the hosting of Cricket Carnival 2022.

Meanwhile, during the press conference, the 14 sponsors that officially came on board for the series of events expressed enthusiasm to play a role in the staging of the events.

These 14 sponsors are: Atlas Security, International Import and Supplies, TMK 2020, Creamery, Adamantium Holdings, Associated Brands Limited, Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc., Condor Construction Inc, Ansa McAl, Kares Engineering, AGM, Digicel, Demerara Distillers Limited and GTT.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Guyana will be the host of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) finals for the next three years.

At the time, President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced that the government has collaborated with the private sector to stage several events around the time that cricket games will be hosted here to form a “Cricket Carnival.” (Shamar Meusa)