Guyana’s win seen as ‘a moment of great joy’ for the nation
President Ali says; announces plan to expand Cricket Carnival

THE Guyana Amazon Warriors’ Caribbean Premier League (CPL) win was a unifying display of athletic talent and culture, and patrons could look forward to a grander celebration of Cricket Carnival next year, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has said.

For the first time in 10 years the country’s cricket franchise copped the 2023 CPL trophy on Sunday evening, during an intense face-off with the Trinbago Knight Riders.
Dr. Ali, in an invited comment to the media after the exhibition of great entertainment and sport, referred to the historic win as an “uplifting moment.”
The Head of State joined thousands of Guyanese at the National Stadium, Providence, to witness the finale of the Region’s biggest cricket event.
“Any moment that brings our country together and any moment that brings us into that celebratory as Guyanese, lifting us and taking us forward. Uplifting moment, that is what this moment is,” Dr. Ali said.

Since the beginning of the season, the Warriors were steadfast against the opposing cricket teams.
“I think the players have a good understanding now of the impact their talent has on the general population, so I think this is a very uplifting moment. This is a moment of great joy and you know when the country is in great joy and people are happy, you can’t ask for better,” the Head of State said.

Turning his attention to the carnival aspect of the celebration, President Ali reflected on the progress of this fixture within the past year.
“This is also a moment that we spoke of a year ago, when we said we were going to host the CPL and we want to build a product through the carnival and bring together not only cricket, but the art, culture, food, music.

“The way this … has grown in just two years speaks about the potential and we are going to continue to build on this and make this a major aspect of our tourism product,” he added.
Further expressing his elation over Guyana’s win, President Ali commended the players on their unified and technical approach to this year’s CPL season.

“I think the franchise played in great unity. The leadership was exceptional, but the team work and the way they meshed together, the way they operated together the way they supported each other. The team had depth because every individual was playing for the collective and that is what made the big difference,” the Head of State said.

This season served as a magnet for tourists, as Guyana recorded a 12 per cent surge in passenger arrivals for the first 20 days of September compared to the same period last year.
For the month of September alone, it is estimated that approximately 36,000 passengers arrived at the airport, surpassing the previous record-breaking arrivals in 2022.

At the beginning of September, the CJIA had seen an increase of 15 per cent in passengers travelling into Guyana when compared to last year’s statistics.
This year’s Cricket Carnival saw a number of buzzing events taking place, from food festivals to music showcases and its super concert featuring internationally renowned artistes Sean Paul, Machel Montano and Shenseea.