CPL close to making decision on finals venue

…says Govt’s support crucial in hosting event

By Akeem Greene

Since the inception of the exciting Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Guyanese fans have been longing for the event to have its finals played at the National Stadium, Providence.   For such a momentous occasion to occur, the support of the government becomes vital, this according to the league’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO)  Damien O’Donohoe.

The CEO in speaking to Guyana Times International Sport during an exclusive interview on Tuesday revealed that there is a diverse interest by various countries to host this year’s final but they are seeking to keep it in the Caribbean.

“The interest always lies around the finals and we have a number of countries interested in the finals and at the end of the day it is a Caribbean product and we absolutely want to see the finals in the Caribbean” he explained.

He further stated “we have a board to answer to and we have to try and balance the books so government support on the finals deal is really important”.

The league enters its fifth year and two countries (Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis) have hosted the finals.  Last year, Guyanese fans were tantalized over the prospects of hosting the finals after some sections of the media reported that the event would be held in this country which proved opposite.

O’Donohoe contended that the unique nature of the league has attracted international interest.

“There is allot of international interest, people see how fast the league has  grown in a short time and they want to see the number one twtenty20 product since it has everything  but also  the party aspect that it brings makes it unique”.

Likewise, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Pete Russell disclosed that they are  in the closing stages of  selecting a finals venue.

“We are in the last rows of making a decision on that, it is never an easy decision, we  have to be working closely with governments to make sure the checks and balances are to there to make sure they get a return on their investment”, Russell explained.

He added, “We are really close, it is the usual suspects  that are part of the mix”.

The officials explained that   for a country to host the finals, it would go through a tender  process but the league does not place a specific cost to countries, rather it is more an economic study, seeing what the finals can bring to a country.

They further revealed that “it is not just the highest bidder; it is the country we best believe is suited to host games of this nature”.

In this regard, the question was poised if Guyana is an economically viable option to host the finals.

Russell responded saying, “certainly, from a fan base  at the stadium and in terms of facilities etc of course; at some point we are very hopeful to have the finals in Guyana we are very happy to have Eldorado  as our big partner  and at some point that is  the dream and we will continue to have conversations”.

According to a 2016 report on the tournament, “the Guyanese economy reaped a US$15,447,309 windfall from the staging of its four pool matches, with the total contribution from the Hero CPL amounting to US$1,200,408.