Opening ceremony was like a Reggae Festival

Dear Editor,

I looked forward with great enthusiasm to the anticipated colourful opening ceremony for the ICC World Cup 2007. It was a great disappointment in the end. All that I saw over two hours was a Sunday evening Jamaican Reggae Festival.

Where were the cultural presentations depicting the diverse and distinct but intricate web of the Caribbean people? A significant group of the Caribbean population was marginalised.

Our first settlers, different groups of people brought under various contract forms, were notably absent in all of the programme.

I cannot accept any excuse of oversight or otherwise for their exclusion. The entire matter leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. In fact, but for the love of the game, I have lost some of the hype I had for the contest.

The entire episode has deeper implications which may be discussed outside of this letter.

Yours faithfully ,

Rudolph D. Mahadeo