I distinctly recall the news articles, columns and letters to the editor on the National Stadium being pointless, useless, unnecessary and an entire barrage of descriptive names to add nothing short of negativity to something of such worth and value to Guyana.

Anyone following the recent cricket matches in Antigua at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium would know that just after exactly ten balls the game was abandoned because of the poor condition of the outfield. Antigua recorded the presence of 8,000 tourists in the country for this event, Hundreds of tickets were sold for these matches and just a little fraction of this was sold to locals/Antiguans. How embarrassing is that!

Do you see a big fuss being made out of it by the Antiguan press or our local press? We as Guyanese need to think more positively and most importantly speak positively of our country.

The Guyana National Stadium is ranked among the top five stadiums in terms of capacity to drain water off the field. We hosted the Cricket World Cup games with success at that very stadium.

The Stadium is not a white elephant as some said it would have been. It has hosted the well displayed CARIFESTA opening, closing and other entertainment events.

Only recently the annual Kashif and Shanghai football final was played there!

Our stadium is what we should call multi-purpose; it hosts so many events comfortably and also facilitates well managed security.

Antigua’s Stadium should be called a white elephant because the European bodies will not want a game to be hosted there until that ground, in particular the outfield is fixed, if it ever is because the word is that the area of choice was a very poor one.

Antigua is a country that generates hundreds of tourists and is said to be among the richest Caribbean countries.

The critics should re-examine their views about the stadium and look upon the extreme picture of the Stadium.

It is our first Stadium. We shouldn’t complain about its size as it facilitates the Guyanese population well. It serves many purposes; it’s ranked among the best; and it’s a national pride.
JUDY PEARSALL