“Making world-class facilities accessible” – Anna Regina National Stadium opens

…Efforts underway to host Women’s CPL in 2027

Story and Photos by Jemima Holmes

Rain reared its ugly head, but the only thing dampened was the outfield beyond the boundary line, as the spirits of the Essequibo people remained joyful, resolute and optimistic, relishing the commissioning of their very own international sport facility, touted to be transformational for the region.
The Anna Regina National Stadium, just a few years ago, was nothing more than a community ground and an ambitious dream. Now, with unwavering determination from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) and, by extension, the Government of Guyana, the edifice stands at the heart of the Essequibo Coast, ready to open the region to the rest of the Caribbean and the world.
As the heavens opened prior to the feature event, a blockbuster match pitting the Shivnarine Chanderpaul XI against the Brian Lara XI, the Essequibo people and those from further afield braved the heavy downpour, enjoying the music and overall joyous atmosphere at the stadium’s commissioning. They were eventually rewarded as the West Indian legends, alongside President Dr Irfaan Ali, took to the outfield, taking photos and sharing heartfelt moments with fans and supporters.
Earlier in the evening, the Head of State also stood tall in the relentless downpour, delivering a powerful address to citizens, especially those of the Essequibo Region, who, in years gone by, would travel miles to witness international cricket.

“For too many Essequibians, loving cricket came with a heavy price. It demanded bus fares, boat fares, meals, accommodation and valuable time away from work and family. Many parents simply could not afford to take their children to witness international cricket. Many talented young players never experienced watching the game live at the stadium, nor did they experience playing under lights,” the Head of State related. “Today, the children of Region Two can dream without first calculating transportation cost, today parents can cheer from their own region; today Essequibo takes its rightful place on Guyana’s sporting map.”
“But this stadium was never intended to serve cricket alone. This is a facility that will create opportunity for many other sporting events and activity. As we did in Region 10, as we did in Region 4 and as we are doing in Region Six, we are making world-class facilities accessible to every single citizen,” Ali added about the venue’s inclusivity.
President Ali further declared, “The skies may have threatened us, the wind may have howled, the recent squall may have tried to postpone this historic moment, but destiny cannot be delayed. Not even nature can stop what was meant for Essequibo.”
As he highlighted the venue’s international capacity, based on its ICC-approved lighting, President Ali detailed another highly rated feature, sharing, “Tonight, we are given another test, and that is the test of the drainage of this ground, and tonight, once the rain stops, you will see one of the fastest draining grounds in the world at action. So, it is, therefore, a tremendous honour for us all to have this beautiful gathering. Tonight, we are celebrating not only the opening of a stadium; we are celebrating the beginning of something new. We are celebrating the investment in Region Two, a piece of infrastructure that could transform the tourism ecosystem.”
Giving some insight into the future plans for the venue, President Ali divulged its being a hosting venue for the Over-40 Men’s World Cup whilst making another major announcement.
“We’ve already placed an application in to CPL to host the Women’s CPL here at this ground next year,” he disclosed to the thousands of supporters gathered at the stadium.
Also delivering remarks at the stadium’s commissioning was Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr, who described the venue as a symbol of togetherness.
“This is our achievement; our achievement on behalf of the people of Guyana and the people of Essequibo. A few days ago, right at this stadium, there was a massive storm that ripped off the top of this roof. We were able to replace that roof in just a matter of days. And I want Essequibo to know, and I want all of Guyana to know, and the world to know that no storm will ever stop the Guyanese people and the will of our people to succeed,” Ramson Jr expressed.

“This stadium is a symbol, a symbol of what we can do together.”
“The nay-sayers will come, the critics will come, and they will come, and they will play on your emotions, but I want you to see that when the People’s Progressive Party sets a plan, we make a promise and a commitment; we will see that plan, commitment and promise through and bring it to life, just like we did with this National Stadium,” the subject Minister later added, referencing flak that was given during the construction of the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.
On the other hand, Minister within the Sport Ministry, Steven Jacobs, struck an ironic note, sharing, “Let us open our arms and receive the blessings from the Almighty; he’s blessing us in all his glory because we’re opening a new stadium, and that is something that is significant to us as a people.”
“This evening we’re opening a very important piece of infrastructure for Region Two. What I can say to you is that you will continue to have international activities here as we strengthen His Excellency’s vision in pushing sports tourism. This will not only give young athletes a chance to upskill themselves; this will stimulate economic activities for every single young businessperson here in Region Two. This is what we want to do as Government and we’ll continue to do that; we’ll continue to put you first,” Jacobs went on to state.

Essequibo on top in first official match
The first official clash at the Anna Regina National Stadium saw an all-Essequibo XI defeating a line-up of big names in a combined Demerara/Berbice XI.
Captain of the Combined XI, Shemroy Barrington, won the toss and opted to bowl first, and an ensuing barrage of maximums, mainly off the bat of Guyana Amazon Warriors ace Quentin Sampson, saw the Essequibo XI posting 143-5 in their 10 overs.
Sampson smashed an entertaining 42 off 12 balls, while Ricardo Adams went toe-to-toe, hitting 43 in 21 deliveries. David Williams added some impetus in the death overs with 24 off 11 to get Essequibo up to a competitive total.
Young all-round standout Jonathan Van Lange was the pick of the combined bowlers, snaring 2-27 from his two overs, while Devon Lord claimed 1-18 and Kevin Sinclair 1-21 from the same complement of overs.
In reply, the combined batters never really got going, slumping to 115-6 in their 10. Sinclair opened with a brisk 32 off 16 balls while Van Lange smashed a scintillating 20 off seven. Kevlon Anderson added 18 off 12, but it was not enough as the Combined XI lost by 28 runs to the home side.
Essequibo Captain Antony Adams led from the front with the ball, returning an impressive 2-5 from one over while Ricardo Adams and Ronsford Beaton claimed 1-13 and 1-21, respectively, from two overs each.