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| Hon Laughton Brandy Minister of Sports in Nevis (centre L) and Australian High Commissioner to the Caribbean His Excellency John Michell (Centre R) with Mr Carlisle Powell and Mr Elquemedo Willett at the Sports Museum in Charlestown.
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CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (September 29, 2005) -- Minister of Sports in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Laughton Brandy has extended an invitation to the people of Australia to visit Nevis when they accompany their cricket team to the Federation during the World Cup Cricket in 2007 citing that the island had much to offer although there are no matches slated for Grove Park.
Mr. Brandy gave the invitation to Australian High Commissioner to the Caribbean, His Excellency John Michell, when he paid a courtesy call at the Minister's Charlestown office on Wednesday. The envoy was at the time visiting Nevis as part of a fact finding mission to the Federation ahead of the 2007 games.
We are very excited about the World Cup and the prospects of Australia coming close to us. We would want to think that you would find a way of getting Australia to come to Nevis even if a World Cup Match would not be staged here. We have tremendous potential for preparation and also for other exciting tours for Nevis. We are open as Nevis to welcome Australia to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, he said adding that the NIA was in the process of preparing Grove Park to host the Indian Cricket team in 2006. The park would be further upgraded to a standard acceptable to the Australia team.
He noted that Nevis was proud of its cricket heritage and it was foremost in the Leeward Islands because a Nevisian in the person of Elquemedo Willett was the first cricketer from the Leeward Islands selected to play for the West Indies Senior Cricket team. Mr. Brandy said he was also aware that Nevis and Australia have a relationship through cricket.
Mr Michell said he would be seeing the cricket authorities in Australia when he visits in November and assured Minister Brandy that he would let them know of Nevis charm and the enthusiasm for cricket that exists on the island.
He agreed with Minister Brandy that there was a bond between the islands You are quite correct when you say that there are strong links between Australia and Nevis indeed St. Kitts and Nevis in the form of cricket. Those bonds I think will only be strengthened by the World Cup, he said noting that the Commonwealth Games would be held in Melbourne in March 2006 at which the Federation would have a good chance of a gold medal in the 100 meters sprint.
I think that this is another opportunity to bring Nevis to the attention of Australians and I think the consequences of both events will be that you will find many, many Australians will visit St. Kitts and Nevis for the World Cup cricket and of course many will find their way to Nevis, to this beautiful island. It's quite a paradise and it's a great credit to everyone involved in the administration of the island. It's pristine, it's charming and it's got so much to offer and I will certainly be letting people know, he said.
The High Commissioner was accompanied by President of the Leeward Islands Cricket Board Mr. Carlisle Powell who Mr Brandy lauded for the initiative which brought the Australian official to Nevis and for his outstanding contribution to the development of cricket on Nevis.
Mr. Powell said while in the Federation the High Commissioner had held meetings with officials the St. Kitts Cricket Association and the Nevis Cricket Association's acting President Oscar Walters and Secretary Mrs Mentrice Arthurton and Leeward Islands Board Secretary Mr. Alford Tyrell. During his visit to Nevis Mr Michell visited the Sports Museum, the Hot Springs at Bath, the Nevis Tourism Authority, the Four Seasons Resort and the Vance Amory International Airport before returning to St. Kitts.
