MINISTER Charles Ramson Jr. told the National Assembly on Friday that the plan of making Guyana a hub of sports is an ambitious one, but believes that with the support of all stakeholders, it can be realised.
“This is an ambitious programme; an ambitious initiative, and for this piece of legislation bill that we are presenting to this House, we are expecting to have unanimous support. We are all patriots in this country, and we want to see what’s best for Guyana always,” the Minister said.

Minister Ramson was at the time debating the necessity of the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies Bill 2024, a Bill that was later passed unanimously in the National Assembly.
He said the Bill is necessary to provide the legal parameters for the successful execution of the T20 World Cup tournament.

“This Bill seeks to harmonise the provision as part of our international commitment to host these matches. Sport is big business, and being able to host these international tournaments comes with a particular obligation,” the Sports Minister said.
He said that formalising the law shows the government is serious about sport tourism by providing the needed legislation to protect the host, in tandem with other regional partners for the duration of the Cup being hosted in the USA and the Caribbean from June 1-29.

Minister Ramson continued, “It also gives our international sporting partners the assurance that the country is serious about this commitment that we have made, and also it sends the signal about what we intend to do, moving forward.”
Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, speaking in support of the Bill, says that it’s an important legislation, as cricket is the national sport, and Guyana will be hosting a mega event.

“Cricket is the Caribbean’s Number One sporting activity. Cricket is an international sport; cricket is a multi-billion-dollar industry. The 20/20 format of the game has become the most popular of the formats, and the pinnacle tournament of the 20/20 format is what we in Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean have the privilege to host.”

Nandlall says this is a huge undertaking for the region, hence laws have to be in place to ensure its smooth operation, adding: “The Cricket World Cup Bill is but one component of the repertoire of arrangements that have to be put in place. This Bill set up the legislative framework under which the teams will operate, and will govern the venues.”

RETURN OF TEST CRICKET
On the return of test cricket to Guyana, Minister Ramson said, “This is going to be the first time in 13 years that we would have hosted a test match in Guyana. Thirteen years! And this is in keeping with the vision that President Ali has for this country, which is about creating Guyana as a world-class premier destination for international events.”

The West Indies men will host three international home tours against South Africa, England, and Bangladesh, from May to December 2024.
South Africa will arrive for featuring three (3) T20 Internationals at Sabina Park, prior to the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next month.
The Proteas then return to the region after the West Indies Test Tour to England in July, with a two Test Match Series to be played in Trinidad & Tobago, with the second match coming to the Providence Stadium in Guyana.