KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Opening Ceremony of the ninth ICC Cricket World Cup, held at the brand-new Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium in Jamaica, was shown around the world.
The event which was attended by 12,000 spectators was beamed live around the Caribbean to an audience of millions. Throughout the region die-hard cricket fans and entertainment lovers hosted Opening Ceremony parties and watched the spectacle with friends and family.
Members of the Local Organizing Committees (LOCs) across the Caribbean were unable to travel to Jamaica to attend the event, as preparations continue in the Super 8 Host Venues where games will start in late March.
“We had to be together, to see a part of history. I wish I could have been there to soak up the atmosphere and see it live but this was the next best thing – it looked amazing and it was an excellent start to the tournament,” said Francine Charles of the Barbados Local Organizing Committee, who watched it on television with more than 500 of her colleagues, including 450 CWC volunteers.
In the UK, viewers stayed up past 11 p.m. to make sure they were a part of history too, by watching the proceedings in Jamaica – as the country completed a regional first and hosted the Opening Ceremony of a major sporting event.
In India, the world’s largest cricket audience had to wait to experience the West Indian energy that dominated the Sunday evening event. Due to time differences the broadcast of the Opening Ceremony was delayed until Tuesday.
Instead of going out live, in the early hours of Monday morning, it was shown yesterday just before the live broadcast of the inaugural match of the tournament. The early evening slot meant a prime time audience had the opportunity to see what has been dubbed by many as “spectacular”, “world class” and “something for the entire Caribbean to be proud of.”
Broadcasters in all of the Participating Nations either carried the Opening Ceremony live or showed a delayed broadcast or presented a highlights package, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. Viewers in the US – which is home to a number of cricket lovers many of whom are of Caribbean or Indian descent – were also able to watch the show.
