By Neto Baptiste
President of the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA), Leon ‘Kuma’ Rodney, is hoping he will be considered as a facilities manager for the historic Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG).
Speaking recently on the Good Morning Jojo sports show, Rodney revealed that he has written to the Ministry of Sports, proposing a contractual arrangement to manage the facility and assist in it’s rehabilitation.
“Given certain level of management with the ARG, I am certain that carnival could exist and other things could exist but it needs to have somebody who will, similar to Pat White and you can’t be Pat White because he was a different kettle of fish, but given the circumstances and you have somebody who can make some decisions and look about things in a way then I would say yes. I would want to have some level of responsibility with the ARG, which I believe and back myself that it can be a reasonable venue and you may not see international cricket there again. But I think we could see local, sub-regional and regional. If we do things the right way wee could see a lot of teams coming out of England using it as a practice venue,” he said.
Rodney was head of the country’s Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and oversaw the preparation of the ARG as a practice venue after having not been used for cricket in years.
The administrator has also been president of the local association for more than eight years but is uncertain as to whether or not he will seek re-election at the body’s next electoral congress due in 2025.
“I’ve been taking some guidance and one of the persons that I’ve been talking to would have come to me and say pres [president] I think that you are making a mistake so I’d have to take everything under consideration so I can’t tell you yes or no,” he said.
In a recent interview, Minister of Sports Hon Daryll Matthew in June this year, said he has held meetings with several potential investors who have shown interest in restoration efforts at the ARG.
