THE recently concluded Guyana leg of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the accompanying Cricket Carnival undoubtedly served as tools of unification, fostering cohesion among Guyanese, who turned out in their numbers to enjoy the festivities and support their teams.

Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, when asked about the unifying effect of such events, related that sports and other national activities indeed unite people, and events of this nature must continue be forces of unification.

“Cricket should continue to be a unifying force,” Norton said during a virtual press briefing, on Tuesday.
He, however, believes that while such events are unifying, the recent activities were politicised because the announcers briefly acknowledged the presence of President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, and other officials who joined the thousands of Guyanese in support of the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

President Ali, who is a known cricket fan, was present at most, if not all of the local matches, spectating from the stands, which were filled with Guyanese from all walks of life.
It is not unique for an official to be an observer at sporting activities and be acknowledged by commentators, announcers and others. This is common in the Caribbean and further afield, where officials are invited to speak on live television about the game and even outline developments in their country.

In Guyana, it was the first time that the country hosted the playoffs and finals of the CPL. And this major feat was made possible through some level of government intervention.
According to an insightful report published recently by Barbados Today, as a result of President Ali’s vision, Guyana secured hosting rights for matches in the CPL preliminary round, playoffs, semi-finals and final on a three-year 2022-2024 contract.

MASTERSTROKE
“Not content with just the mere acquisition of the prestigious CPL rights, President Ali then went a step further by announcing his government’s intended establishment of an annual Cricket Carnival to be held in conjunction with Guyana’s annual hosting of its scheduled matches. President Ali’s conceptual vision for the Cricket Carnival’s establishment featuring the very best of culture, cuisine and music from not just Guyana mind you, but rather also CPL’s other participating Caribbean territories: Barbados, Jamaica, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, as well as Trinidad & Tobago, was a masterstroke of breathtaking brilliance,” the report stated.

Guyana received high praise even from Former West Indies Cricketer and cricket commentator, Darren Ganga, who said: “Guyana has won overall just by hosting the playoffs and the finals, which is a testimony to the Government and the people of Guyana investing in a product that’s going to bring plenty of value from an economic standpoint, a social standpoint, and a psychological standpoint since cricket is a part of our psyche as a Caribbean people.”

He went on to say: “I’ve actually seen with my own eyes the unity and coming together of the Guyanese people under the One-Guyana tagline to host such a magnificent event, and I was also impressed to see that the Guyanese people went out and supported the CPL finals in large numbers regardless of the Amazon Warriors (the home team) not being a part of it. That shows how well invested the people are in the CPL.”
He particularly commended President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, and the government for creating an environment for great cricket and celebration.

BREATH OF FRESH AIR
He said with all assurance: “President Ali has the heart and soul of the Guyanese people within, and he’s a breath of fresh air in terms of leadership, not only in Guyana but in the entire Caribbean nation. He does not focus on the development of Guyana alone, but his vision is for a better Caribbean collectively.”

Although the benefits of the cricket/carnival activities are evident even to outsiders, Norton believes that resources should be allocated towards the enhancement of the quality of life of every Guyanese before being injected into such events.

It was widely reported, however, that the government has been taking several steps to significantly enhance the lives of every Guyanese, and Cricket Carnival was just another part of the wider plan to ensure that every economic sector advances at an equally rapid rate.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, had said that the government’s commitment to securing the rights for the hosting of the CPL final was part of a strategy for inclusive development.
Walrond said: “We had our sights set not only on the primary revenue streams associated with the cricket itself, but also on capturing wider benefits that such an event could bring to a broad cross section of ordinary people in many sectors. Indeed this was the primary motivation for the twinning of cricket with carnival.”

This was done to ensure that there were opportunities for meaningful participation by small, medium and microenterprises right down to the individual sole proprietor. And those benefits were realised in all sorts of businesses.