Mayor says Kingston is not ready for World Cup

Kingston, Jamaica, Jan 9 (UNI) Amid claims by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) that everything is going as per schedule for the barely two months away World Cup, Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie said the city is just not ready to host the premier ICC event.

The 'Jamaica Gleaner' quoted the Mayor saying that it would require a Houdini or Mandrake to put things in place ahead of the World Cup.

Speaking at a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Area Council One meeting at Kingston College, the Mayor said the city was about 35 per cent ready for the tournament, despite the mega event being just over 60 days away.

''I don't know if Houdini or Mandrake are going to suddenly appear and wave a magic wand and bring Kingston and its environs up to speed to host the cricket,'' Mr McKenzie said.

''It is a disgrace ... a national disgrace,'' he added.

The Mayor later told The Gleaner that while Jamaica's stadiums may be ready to host the World Cup, the physical readiness of the entire country, particularly Kingston, is nothing to brag about.

''I put the readiness of the city at about 35 per cent. Kingston is dirty, Kingston is filthy ... I have been talking about this for two years now and very little has been done,'' he alleged.

The World Cup will commence with the opening ceremony at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium on March 11, with warm-up games to bowl off six days earlier. On March 13, the West Indies face Pakistan at Sabina Park for the first match at Kingston.

Kingston waterfront, renovation of the craft market and the general improvement of road networks in time have been areas of concerns for the Government.

Donald Buchanan, general secretary of the governing People's National Party (PNP), however, differed in his view and said Jamaica is almost ready for the World Cup.

At a post-Cabinet press briefing in December, Mr Buchanan had placed Jamaica's readiness at 85 per cent and he said, ''I stand by what I said then.'' UNI XC AY PM BD1815