Cricket West Indies CEO Chris Dehring announced a bold plan to make the Caribbean a major hub for cricket development and sports tourism.
The key initiative is a high-performance facility on a 20-acre site in Coolidge, Antigua, with construction scheduled for this year.
The complex will have advanced training tech, sports science labs, and recovery centers, aiming to serve both West Indies and international teams.
“It is our intention… to establish the Caribbean as the hemispheric hub for cricket in this side of the world,” Dehring said.
“It’s going to be available not just for the West Indies team… but for teams around the world to come here and train and develop,” he added.
Dehring explained that the initiative is closely tied to the rapid growth of the global sports tourism industry, which he said was currently valued at approximately US$700 billion and projected to more than double within five years.
“The fastest growing segment… is sports tourism,” he noted, highlighting the emergence of high-performance centers as major commercial assets.
Dehring said the project aligns with the rapidly growing global sports tourism industry. Despite CWI’s financial challenges, he noted that infrastructure projects remain appealing to investors because of their long-term, tangible value.
Overall, the initiative is seen as a key opportunity not only to develop world-class cricket talent in the region but also to boost local economies through increased international activity, job creation, and tourism-related commerce.
