Next year’s T20 World Cup is becoming a favorite topic among fans all over the world.
Everyone is quite excited to see the games in the West Indies and the USA as the preparations for the same are going in full swing.
However, there is still a bit of shocking news and this time it has to do with the venues.
Apparently, Jamaica has decided to not be a part of next year’s marquee event.
Therefore, they have decided to not place a bid for the same as it is going over their budget.
This is because the resources for Jamaica are very scarce and they cannot afford to lose it all.
Therefore, Jamaican Sports Minister, Olivia Grange came forward to address the issue and stated that it was a necessary step.
We had been considering the cost and source of funding of nearly half a billion dollars to host a few games in Jamaica, in our cost/benefit analysis with stakeholders, we also considered the economic, social and development impact, including the potential tourism-related impact and attendant industry benefits using year-over-year economic modelling, reconciled against current tourism performance. It was a robust exercise in which we considered different permutations including the option not to bid.
Grange makes a public apology to fans for not being able to witness games
After Jamaica’s decision to opt out, the other venues for the T20 World Cup next year in the Windies are Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines.
Apart from Jamaica, the other venues not hosting any games are Grenada and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Meanwhile, Grange is of the opinion that the decision to opt out of the bidding process is a good one.
It was not an easy decision and I very much understand and share the disappointment of fans who wanted to see T20 World Cup games being played in Jamaica. However, I could not just follow my heart.
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