Caption: The viewing glass in the media wing fogged up during a game between West Indies and South Africa in August. Also ceiling lights reflect on the glass. AZP News/Prior Beharry
By Prior Beharry
THE Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) is promising to fix issues with media facilities at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA).
The issues were first raised by AZP News.
Traffic
Last June during a World Cup game between West Indies and New Zealand at BLCA, the park and ride system failed causing major chaos and leaving many stranded after the game ended just before midnight. Some even chose to walk to the areas where they parked their cars at the Petrotrin Refinery and South Park, risking their lives on the shoulder of the Solomon Hochoy Highway.
And on Friday, for a Caribbean Premier League (CPL) game between Trinbago Knight Riders and the Barbados Royals, easy access to the venue was hindered by massive traffic jams along the Uriah Butler and Solomon Hochoy Highways. Even players and team officials arrived late causing a delayed start to the match.
AZP News sent questions to UDeCOTT’s Manager of Corporate Communications Roxanne Stapleton-Whyms who said there was a plan to deal with the traffic issues during major games at BLCA, but she did not elaborate.
New media wings
Two new media wings were constructed to accommodate 120 journalists for the 2024 World Cup co-hosted by the West Indies and the US in June this year.
In answer to a question on whether there was consultation done before the construction of these two wings, Stapleton-Whyms again said yes and that media were consulted.
She said, “This information was then used to inform the final design and layout. It should be noted that during the ICC World Cup a combination of 30 internationally and regionally based journalists used the facilities and had no complaints.”
Stapleton-Whyms said UDeCOTT will be looking into other issues in the media wings identified by AZP News such as blockage of about 30% of the field while journalists are sitting; low seating arrangements, the fogging up of the glass hindering visibility, ceiling lights reflecting on the glass to view the field, a large portion of the centre of the viewing glass blocked to put a big screen TV; and extremely cold air-conditioners with no means of controlling the temperature.
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