GUYANESE at home and abroad and Caribbean and international visitors who shared the experience of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Final and Cricket Carnival events hosted here from September 16 to October 2 under the “One Guyana” theme are still talking about the success of the widely-supported event, which, as the Chronicle reported on Thursday, also ‘generated significant income opportunities for thousands of Guyanese across the board.

The first Cricket Carnival was coordinated by the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, whose subject minister Oneidge Walrond had earlier explained the main aim of the events was “to put Guyana on show for all to see our authentic experiences, whether it is immersing yourself in the rich and diverse cultures, getting in tune with nature in our remote regions or exploring the built heritage or city vibes here in the coast.”

The first of three successive similar sparkling annual sporting events in Guyana’s bag treated thousands of visitors to a wide range of entertainment and recreational choices, including international-grade musical concerts and competitions, cultural performances, regional food festivals, scheduled tours and the popular Road Parade, plus more.

Participation through the presence of President Dr Irfaan Ali also did much to show visitors and Guyanese visiting from the diaspora just how ‘down-to-earth” the Head of State is, always making time – despite his obviously busy schedule — to mix and mingle with citizens and visitors alike, whether at the Rupununi Rodeo or Cricket Carnival.

The CPL Cricket Carnival event was of the type that brought welcome relief to all at a time when everyone is also more concerned than ever about survival in the face of changing times globally and the effects on Guyana and all developing nations (most of all) by way of price increases for everything from food to fuel.

And as also reported here, vendors and persons providing daily food and drink services, cultural and touristic items, as well as bars and restaurants, taxis and minibuses, all went home with smiles at the end of each day with more than small change in their pockets or wallets.

Guyanese old enough recalled the birth of the GuyExpo event in the 1990s, which exhibited all types of Guyanese products over an entire weekend, but the Cricket Carnival event was a marrying of sports and culture in a field of play that benefitted more than just players and spectators, but went on to benefit the entire nation and all its citizens.

As noted by many, it didn’t matter if Guyana lost or won because the entire country won the benefit of the success of another unique event that gave citizens and visitors alike another real chance to put life’s new norms on hold and let some sunshine into their hearts, if only for a defined period.

Activities such as these also go a long way to demonstrate local capacity to organise world-class events and provide a platform for regional inter-cultural mixes that allow more people to better understand why we are One Guyana that’s part of One Caribbean.

The players and spectators, citizens and visitors, CPL officials and carnival planners, government and sporting bodies, all deserve high praise for making the event the success it was.

The 2022 CPL Final and Cricket Carnival didn’t bowl or blow our problems away, but it certainly stumped the cynics and hit the critics beyond the boundaries, as it did for Guyana much more than would have been expected by the few who didn’t see the perfect mix and match between Cricket and Carnival – and there are still two to come.