Windies World Cup 2007 plans on track, says organiser

Preparations for hosting the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies are on track, the chief executive of the company planning the event said on Thursday.

"I'm not concerned about the timing because we're on track. At this point, I have a very good idea of where we're going, having done three or four months of consultation," Chris Dehring, who was appointed head of Windies World Cup 2007 Inc. last year, told Reuters.

Dehring's comments came after former WICB president Pat Rousseau claimed West Indies could lose the tournament because of poor playing facilities.

Rousseau declared that only Grenada has the facilities to host World Cup matches and that customs and immigration checks in each country could affect the logistics of hosting the event.

"I have held more meetings than I can count with contractors, corporate event managers, logistics experts and communication companies prior to preparing a master plan for the tournament," Dehring said.

"I'm aiming to present it to the (WICB's) interim World Cup committee for discussion by the end of March."

"We're going to have to put in place a structure that suits our own particular circumstances."

Dehring cautioned against "general apathy" and said it was crucial that the WICB and relevant governments realise the urgency of the situation with the biggest single sporting event ever staged in the Caribbean now only five years away.

"I spoke to Pat (Rousseau) a few days ago and I'm sure his comments were meant to be taken in that light," he said.

"He knows that, right now, there's a lot of background work, a lot of preparatory work being done."

Mail Cricket Editor