Congratulations are in order

St Vincent and the Grenadines has acquitted itself well during the hosting of the five matches in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The refurbished, upgraded Arnos Vale Playing Field was the venue for matches on June 13, 14, 16, 22 and 24.

From all reports, most bases were covered, and the output by Vincentians who were tasked with the various responsibilities, did so with a high level of proficiency.

Essentially, many Vincentians have played their part in giving St Vincent and the Grenadines a good name.

It was also noteworthy that the population turned up in their numbers, despite that the West Indies did not play a match at the local venue.

Again, that aspect of attendance was another of the boxes that was ticked, as the attendance was more than reasonable.

And, the various cultural packages that were presented at the matches, were well thought out, well received, and more so, aptly sold the country and its people to the rest of the world.

The exposure and the very complimentary remarks about the aesthetics of St Vincent and the Grenadines – the picturesque nature of the Arnos Vale venue, the hospitality of the people- were the expressions of commentators and visitors alike.

Therefore, if people did not know about St Vincent and the Grenadines, now they do.

Set apart the verbal plaudits that were given, the Arnos Vale Playing Field and country as a whole were the centre of focus as three of the more nervy and memorable matches were hosted there.

The nail-biting finish between South Africa and Nepal, and the historic triumph by Afghanistan over Australia, and finally, Afghanistan, defeating Bangladesh to gain a semi-final place, would long remain in the memory banks of those who were present and those who followed it via the many platforms.

Without a doubt, St Vincent and the Grenadines was the beneficiary of that historic period, in its allocation of the one match that was played in daylight, and the four night matches under the newly installed lights.

Aside from the novelty of the night matches and the atmosphere created from all the trappings, evidently there was a reigniting of the spirit for Cricket that St Vincent and the Grenadines once possessed.

Praises are not enough for those who took the bold decisions, very much defying the odds in the dissenting opinions, to bid for the matches.

But that is water under the bridge, as the facilities of the Arnos Vale Playing Field, the Sion Hill Playing Field, and the Cumberland Playing Field, are better than before.

So now that the excitement is still bubbly and the memorable experiences of those who attended the five matches, still fresh, the time is right to look ahead of pomp.

St Vincent and the Grenadines has passed with flying colours, the onus is on the powers that be, as well as the custodians of Cricket, to ensure that the legacies are fulfilled.

They must place on the top of their priority list, a detailed plan of maintenance for the premier sporting facility, the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

We can ill afford to make that venue a useless show piece, instead it must stay relevant, active and a source to replenish the public purse.

The potentialities of the Arnos Vale Playing Field especially, are limitless and a game changer for sports, notably, Cricket.

Hopefully, with some careful negotiations and proper structures in train, international Football can touch down at the pristine, carefully manicured outfield.

Vincentians ought to be proud, and one can borrow from the late Vincentian Soca bard, Winston Soso’s calypso hit of 1978 that said: “ Stand up, shake each other’s hand; give your country a round of applause and say congratulations”.