Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
BRYAN
WITH LESS than two years to go before the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, organisers of the Jamaica leg of the tournament are determined that the country benefits from an overwhelming media presence, and shed its unflattering reputation as a place of violence.
Robert Bryan, executive director of Jamaica Cricket 2007, told the Kiwanis Club of Kingston last Tuesday that his committee has met with executives at Jamaica Promotions (JAMPRO) to promote Country Legacy, a segment documenting the positives of the country.
MORE THAN JUST CRICKET
"In my view, this is the most important part of this event ... World Cup 2007 has a lot more to do about Jamaica than it has to do with cricket," said Mr. Bryan. "The world is going to be watching and there are stories to be told.
"In Jamaica alone, there are going to be 400 or more journalists for the duration of the tournament and around the time of the opening ceremony that number is expected to swell up to a thousand," he added.
"So when we say 'Welcome to Jamrock', in specific terms I'm inviting you to think about what exactly is the answer to that welcome ... Is it the construct of what is taking place in the society today, or is it something else we want to put out there?"
Another objective of the Jamaica Cricket 2007 team, Mr. Bryan said, is to get communities across the country involved in self-promotion in time for the tournament which bowls off in March 2007. As examples, he pointed to Port Royal with its history of being a haven for pirates, and Trench Town, which not only produced noted musicians such as Bob Marley and Alton Ellis, but famed cricketers like West Indies all-rounder Collie Smith.
Although the West Indies team won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979 in England, the region has never hosted cricket's biggest spectacle.
Matches will be played in eight territories with Jamaica hosting several warm-up matches. The opening ceremony will be held at the Greenfield stadium in Trelawny and as well as a semi-final match; preliminary round matches are to be played at Sabina Park in Kingston.
