An exhilarating experience and much glory is what the eternal optimist hopes the dawning of a new year will bring to Guyana in 2007. And the agenda is indeed a packed one with the hosting of several prestige events the most prominent of which is the world cup cricket matches from March 28 to April 9. This will be preceded by the meeting of the Rio Group Heads, in itself a signal event which will draw the country closer to its continental neighbours and hopefully cement its role as an influential player in the group. Weighty matters are on its agenda including the reform of the UN system and global governance issues. The Commonwealth Finance Ministers meeting is also to be held here sometime this year.
These gatherings will demand much of the country in terms of silky hosting but none more than the word cup. If there is a single event which will define 2007 it will be the heady days between the end of March and early April when the cricket world cup will be run off.
If it is well administered, the super eight section of the tournament here will provide the perfect platform to showcase Guyana to thousands of potential tourists and should also bring a tidy return to the country. It would also banish or at least dispel the notion that Guyana is presently incapable of handling such a demanding event without major upheavals.
There was never a time when President Kennedy’s admonition “
