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ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc. plans to move teams and officials via specially chartered airlift during the 2007 sporting spectacle.

Having advertised in 24 regional newspapers across the nine Host Venues and one American daily publication earlier this year, the organisation is now in the process of selecting the successful tender.

Careful consideration was given to all submissions and following interviews with those entities which have been shortlisted for this service, the ICC CWC 2007 Selection Committee will soon make a recommendation to the Board of Directors for approval. Thereafter, contractual and other necessary details will be finalised with the company or consortium chosen ahead of a public announcement.

ICC CWC 2007 Cricket Operations Director Michael Hall explained that the airlift charter provider will not be responsible for transporting the thousands of fans travelling throughout the region for the Event. Neither will the chosen company or consortium be the official air carrier of ICC CWC 2007.

“The purpose of this tender is strictly to secure an airlift provider to meet the demands placed on the movement of Teams and Match Officials dictated by the match schedule.  This facility – of having special aircraft for team movements – will enhance the smoothness of tournament operations with relation to travel, as will CARICOM’s decision that the Host Venues will allow the free movement of persons from country-to-country throughout the Event. That is a very progressive step.

“Given various enquiries, I think it is important to clarify that this is not a tender for the appointment of an ‘official’ carrier. CWC 2007 is not a commercial rights holder for the tournament and therefore cannot seek ‘official’ associations for it,” he said.

He disclosed that the Selection Committee – comprising himself as well as ICC CWC 2007 Managing Director & CEO Chris Dehring and Board members Mr. Allen Chastanet, Dr. Edward Greene, Sir Royston Hopkin and Mr. Alec Sanguinetti – met with representatives of the prospective airlift charter provider in Barbados “two weekends ago and are now deliberating their recommendation”.

“We anticipate that by month-end we should be very close to finalising our selection, if we have not done so by then,” added Hall.

The ICC CWC 2007 Cricket Operations Director acknowledged that there are two Board members with professional links to the airline industry. However, he confirmed that neither was involved in this particular tender from an ICC CWC 2007 perspective or in their capacity as Board members.

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Kingston, Jamaica – Roxanne Morris, Commercial Manager at the Jamaica Local Organising Committee for ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, is urging local cricket fans to apply now for their tickets to the Event.

“If you want to watch any of the matches to be played in Jamaica between March and April next year you must apply for tickets. This is a world-class sporting event and it will not be business as usual whereby on the morning of the match you can go and purchase a ticket. You must either apply online at www.cricketworldcup.com or visit the Official Ticket Centre at Shops 51 & 52, Kingston Mall, Ocean Boulevard, downtown Kingston. You have less than a month in which to apply. Remember without a ticket you will not be able to get into the stadium,” said Morris, speaking at a community sensitisation meeting at Moneague Community College.

Continuing she said: “Phase 1 of Public Ticketing closes on July 31st after which persons will have to wait for Phase 2 which begins September 1st and this is only if there are tickets remaining. I can confirm that to date the sale of tickets has been going well. At the end of June 2006, there have been applications from 114 countries with the top ten being: the United Kingdom, the USA, Barbados, Australia, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, India, Canada, South Africa and Guyana respectively.”

Also addressing the meeting last Thursday was Pauline Nelson, Communications Manager at the LOC. She pointed out that the Moneague community is ideally positioned as hundreds of visitors, who will be in the island for the tournament, will be travelling to and from the north coast and will pass through the area.

“Look at benefiting from this, speak to your local authorities and establish an area where residents can display and sell fresh fruits and craft items to visitors passing through. What of the community of Moneague? Can the history of the area be told? What are the natural attractions of the area? Use them to your benefit.”

The meeting was organised by the Minister of Tourism, Entertainment and Culture and was one of the Jamaica LOC community sensitisation meetings aimed at educating Jamaicans on benefits and opportunities which can be gained from hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup next year.

Jamaica is one of nine Caribbean countries that will be hosting this Event. Jamaica will host the Yellow Package which will see four Warm-Up matches and the prestigious Opening Ceremony, between March 5 and 11 at Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium and six Group Stage matches as well as the first Semi-Final from March 13 to April 24 at Sabina Park.

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