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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>'Best ever' Opening Ceremony, claim cricket analysts</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>ANDREW HANCEL , Observer staff reporter
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
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</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Members of the 1,500 performers demonstrating the energy of the region through sound, movement and colour, with highlights of the culture and history at Sunday's Opening Ceremony in Trelawny. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Grabbed by the colour and the energy, some of the world's leading cricket commentators believe the West Indies have delivered the best ever opening for an ICC Cricket World Cup.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The ninth ICC Cricket World Cup - the first to be held in the Caribbean - was declared officially open two nights ago in Florence Hall, Trelawny.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Dubbed 'Caribbean energy', the Opening Ceremony mirrored a West Indian party - gradually building momentum, before getting to a prolonged climax.
The three-hour affair was so captivating that the capacity crowd remained until the end, revelling in the historic moment.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"This is by far the best. This is world class. I got a call from a friend of mine who is in Barbados. who just called to say 'I'm so proud to be a West Indian tonight'. She was in tears.," said veteran West Indian cricket commentator, Tony Cozier.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Everybody looks at it and says 'we can't do it'. They started on time and finished on time. and they got everything in," Cozier added.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The hard-talking, but highly respected former West Indies fastbowler, Michael Holding agreed.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Said Holding: "It is the best Opening Ceremony I've seen. I saw the opening ceremony in England and watched some of the opening ceremony on TV in South Africa. But to compare this to what happened in England is chalk and cheese. This is far, far superior."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Second vice-president of CONCACAF, Cpt Horace Burrell, believed that the Caribbean has delivered, adding that while the FIFA World Cup evolves on a grander scale, Sunday's opening ceremony was of the highest standard.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Sitting there in the stands really made me feel proud, and it just goes to show what we can do as a region. I really can't find adjectives to describe the feeling, but I think it was really, really tremendous.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"World Cup football covers a wider spectrum. but nonetheless, I believe the performance here was really next to none. I have looked at the performances of opening ceremonies of other World Cup finals and I have to say, even though I might sound biased, that this is certainly the most magnificent that I've seen," says the Jamaican, who has been largely credited for taking Jamaica to its first and only senior FIFA World Cup in 1998.<P class=StoryText align=justify>As expected, the ceremony had a lot of Caribbean entertainers, with the likes of David Rudder, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Third World, Beres Hammond and the legendary reggae icon Jimmy Cliff, who had the distinction of closing the night's show.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Harpal Singh Bedi, special correspondent, United News of India, told the Observer that credit must go to the organisers, headed by Martin Lewis.<P class=StoryText align=justify>He said that he and his Indian colleagues were overwhelmed by the music, though they struggled to understand the language.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"This is the best
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>ANDREW HANCEL , Observer staff reporter
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=354 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Members of the 1,500 performers demonstrating the energy of the region through sound, movement and colour, with highlights of the culture and history at Sunday's Opening Ceremony in Trelawny. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Grabbed by the colour and the energy, some of the world's leading cricket commentators believe the West Indies have delivered the best ever opening for an ICC Cricket World Cup.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The ninth ICC Cricket World Cup - the first to be held in the Caribbean - was declared officially open two nights ago in Florence Hall, Trelawny.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Dubbed 'Caribbean energy', the Opening Ceremony mirrored a West Indian party - gradually building momentum, before getting to a prolonged climax. The three-hour affair was so captivating that the capacity crowd remained until the end, revelling in the historic moment.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"This is by far the best. This is world class. I got a call from a friend of mine who is in Barbados. who just called to say 'I'm so proud to be a West Indian tonight'. She was in tears.," said veteran West Indian cricket commentator, Tony Cozier.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Everybody looks at it and says 'we can't do it'. They started on time and finished on time. and they got everything in," Cozier added.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The hard-talking, but highly respected former West Indies fastbowler, Michael Holding agreed.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Said Holding: "It is the best Opening Ceremony I've seen. I saw the opening ceremony in England and watched some of the opening ceremony on TV in South Africa. But to compare this to what happened in England is chalk and cheese. This is far, far superior."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Second vice-president of CONCACAF, Cpt Horace Burrell, believed that the Caribbean has delivered, adding that while the FIFA World Cup evolves on a grander scale, Sunday's opening ceremony was of the highest standard.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Sitting there in the stands really made me feel proud, and it just goes to show what we can do as a region. I really can't find adjectives to describe the feeling, but I think it was really, really tremendous.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"World Cup football covers a wider spectrum. but nonetheless, I believe the performance here was really next to none. I have looked at the performances of opening ceremonies of other World Cup finals and I have to say, even though I might sound biased, that this is certainly the most magnificent that I've seen," says the Jamaican, who has been largely credited for taking Jamaica to its first and only senior FIFA World Cup in 1998.<P class=StoryText align=justify>As expected, the ceremony had a lot of Caribbean entertainers, with the likes of David Rudder, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Third World, Beres Hammond and the legendary reggae icon Jimmy Cliff, who had the distinction of closing the night's show.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Harpal Singh Bedi, special correspondent, United News of India, told the Observer that credit must go to the organisers, headed by Martin Lewis.<P class=StoryText align=justify>He said that he and his Indian colleagues were overwhelmed by the music, though they struggled to understand the language.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"This is the best
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