Basseterre, St. Kitts (September 27, 2004): St. Kitts and Nevis takes a step closer to hosting Cricket World Cup 2007 on September 29 and 30.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will hold Venue Summit III in St. Kitts, on Wednesday and Thursday. Over 60 delegates from CWC 2007 host venues will join with ICC officials to review details connected to the successful staging of the historic event.

A board meeting between ICC officials is also scheduled to take place during the two-day meeting which will be held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Auditorium.

On the second day, a ground breaking ceremony will be held at Warner Park to mark the start of construction, which will transform the stadium into a world-class facility.

A number of senior government officials including Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas and Minister of Sport Hon. Jacinth Henry-Martin will attend.

The Republic of China is funding the redevelopment project and will be represented at the ceremony by Resident Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis Her Excellency Marietta Liau. Chairman of the ICC West Indies Cricket World Cup 2007 Inc. Rawle Brancker and Warner Park’s developer Valmiki Kempadoo is also expected to attend.

Minister Henry-Martin told SKNIS that she is pleased with the ongoing work to prepare the country to stage the first round matches of the Australian team, the defending CWC champions. She noted that delegates attending venue summit III will have an opportunity to sample the extraordinary business, sporting and tourism offerings of the island.