President of the Dominica Cricket Association (DCA), Clement Marcellin, says ongoing delays in the completion of the Windsor Park Sports Stadium lighting project continue to disrupt the association’s operations and Dominica’s ability to host international cricket.
The $13.8 million project which is being financed through the Dominica Lotteries Commission was initially expected to be completed in November, but delays in the arrival of the lighting structures have pushed the project back.
As a result, Dominica was originally considered for the West Indies Women’s series against Sri Lanka in February but is now unlikely to host those matches. Marcellin says attention has shifted to the possibility of hosting a women’s series with Australia between March and April, pending the stadium’s readiness.
Marcellin emphasized the importance of completing the project, noting that the facility’s condition directly affects Dominica’s competitiveness as a cricket venue. “It is very critical that we get the Windsor Park Sports Stadium into its perfect form,” he said. “That in itself would transcend into having us being a premier venue for international cricket. The West Indies women plans have been altered from various months. Communication is going to the Ministry of Sports informing them of which sports are available for making the offers. Every plan has to be based on the readiness of the venue, and I keep hearing that being pushed back and pushed back. We need to ensure that our cricketing facilities are up to par so we can get as many events as possible.”
He added that the delays have come at a time when the DCA is juggling multiple development programs. “We are currently having the preparation of the under-15 team, the preparation of the under-23 team for their tournament, and simultaneously the women preparing for the tournament in January,” Marcellin explained. “All of this is being juggled between the very limited resources that we have and the very limited facilities that we have.”
The DCA president also pointed to financial constraints made worse by the unavailability of the Windsor Park Stadium and the inability to host the Dream XI Tournament, one of the association’s major revenue-generating events.
Despite these challenges, Marcellin praised the dedication of the cricket community. “Somebody may wonder how DCA gets this done with very limited income, sometimes no income at all,” he said. “But we are committed, and I really want to thank everybody within the cricketing fraternity. There is a lot of commitment from our people, and I truly appreciate it.”
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit recently stated that the lighting structures were expected on island soon and expressed hope that installation could be completed by January.
