Dr. Roopnarine confirms, Guyana to host 2016 CPL Finals

By Rawle Toney

Minister of Education, with the responsibility for sport Dr. Rupert Roopnarine confirmed with News Room Sports that Guyana will be hosting the finals of the 2016 Hero Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament.

Roopnarine at the time was heading into the Government’s Cabinet weekly meeting. The details surrounding the arrangement should officially be made public shortly.

The Government of Guyana out-bid Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados for the rights to host the August 7 event at Providence. Guyana will also host the semi-finals.

While the agreement between the Guyanese Government and the CPL organisers is not known, it was noted that the CPL were asking for US$4.5M (G$932.4million) for the award of the final-four.

It will be the first time that the finals will be hosted in Guyana, as the three previous finals took place in T&T (2) and St. Kitts.

Last year, the Trinidadian Government invested US$3.5 million (TT$24 million) and there was massive interest and sold out crowds for the final which was won by the local Red Steel team (now renamed the Trinbago Knight Riders), which beat Barbados Tridents in the final at the Queen’s Park Oval.