Barbados PM happy with Kensington Oval progress for World Cup

Bridgetown, Barbados, July 24 (UNI) Allaying fears that Kensington Oval might be lagging behind schedule, Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur said there is no need to panic and assured that the venue would be ready well before next year's World Cup.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by senior officials during his hour-long recce of the stadium, which is set to host the stage six Super Eight, second round matches from April 11-21 and the grand final on April 28.

''The last time I was here I stimulated a bit of controversy by saying that I was prepared to move heaven and earth to ensure that this project was satisfactorily completed,'' he told the mediapersons.

''We have not moved heaven, but we have moved a lot of earth and as a result a tremendous progress has been made so that Barbados can approach the World Cup with the confidence that not only Kensington Oval will be ready, but that Barbados will have a new major addition to our national assets,'' he explained.

Once the facelift is complete, Kensington Oval would accommodate a 28,000-strong crowd, more than double its present capacity with approximately 67.5 million dollar fuelling the renovation work, which, Mr Arthur felt, would be over by early January.

''There is hardly any part of the project that is behind schedule and any part that is behind is behind by no more than a week, and even where that is the case we have systems in place to make up the time,'' he said.

''In most instances there are just finishings that are being undertaken and I am really happy with the tremendous progress that has led to Kensington being in the state of readiness that it is,'' he added.

UNI XC AY PM DS1523