CATEGORY:SPORTS
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By Trevor Thwaites (St.George's correspondent)


ST.GEORGE’S, Grenada - Organizers of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 are taking the event to the Far East with the launch of the big Cricketing Extravaganza this week in India. A two-day media Blitz has been planned for the world’s largest population of over.1.3 billion people Thursday and Friday. Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell, who is the chairman of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on regional cricket, is a member of the high-level ICC/CWC team headed by Chief Executive Officer of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Christopher Deherring.

Dr Mitchell told Spice Isle Review that they are looking forward to the big launch in India. “This is going to be the start of a media blitz as we build up towards the world cup. It is going to give us tremendous exposure. It is going to put the Caribbean on the map internationally. Using this opportunity to launch the world cup is a good chance to promote Grenada and the region. Therefore it will be a media blitz in every respect,” Dr Mitchell said.

He noted that with regional countries making huge investments, it will be quite an appropriate opportunity to showcase the infrastructural development and the beauty of the countries. “There is going to be displays and promotional equipment and materials from several of the local organizing committees, that will be distributed during the sessions in India,” Prime Minister Mitchell said. He is confident that the launch in India, will give tremendous impetus to the event in 2007.

India boosts the largest following of cricket fans in the world with the game very popular in the continent. It is currently ranked third in both the test and one day competitions behind Australia and South Africa. Organizers are hoping to attract thousands of India tourists to the region for the big extravaganza next year. “It is going to be a massive media blitz between now and the World Cup,” the Cricketing Enthusiast said.

He said that similar media campaigns will also take place in North America, Europe and other parts of the globe as the build up to the World Cup intensifies. The Brand launch of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 was held last July in Port-Of Spain Trinidad and Tobago. The event officially begins March 13th, with the preliminaries and concludes Saturday April 28th with the final at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown Barbados. Grenada will host six matches in the super Eight Stage of the competition from April 10th-20th.