Lara and Chanderpaul Headline Grand Opening of Anna Regina Stadium
ESSEQUIBO, Guyana – All roads lead to the brand-new Anna Regina Stadium Friday evening, as cricket legends and former West Indies captains Brian Lara and Shiv Chanderpaul gear up for a blockbuster T20 clash to officially inaugurate the state-of-the-art facility.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul will lead a team against Brian Lara’s XINestled in the heart of the Essequibo Coast Town, the stadium promises a night of high-octane cricket, nostalgia, and national pride.
The floodlit encounter is expected to be fiercely competitive, featuring a star-studded lineup of past and present Guyana cricketers.
The venue, once known as the ‘old’ Anna Regina Community Centre Ground, which hosted its first Inter-County match in 2007 between Demerara and Essequibo, has undergone a stunning transformation into the most modern sporting complex in Guyana’s largest county.
The official opening ceremony will be a spectacle of pomp and splendour.
Adding political star power, President Dr Irfaan Ali and former national first-class bowling all-rounder Minister Steven Jacobs will showcase their skills for Lara’s XI.
Meanwhile, Chanderpaul’s XI will feature former Everest left-arm spinner and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr. President Ali, known for his passion for the game, is set to entertain the crowd with his batting prowess under the lights.
The match strikes a perfect balance between experience and youth. Current Guyana stars, including Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Quentin Sampson, Kevlon Anderson, Jonathan Van Lange, Matthew Nandu, Kemol Savory, Richie Looknauth, Kevin Sinclair, and Thaddeus Lovell, will carry the torch for the present generation.
They will be joined by a host of seasoned campaigners eager to prove they still have plenty to offer. Former national players Chris Barnwell, Assad Fudadin, Anthony Bramble, Norwayne Fredericks, Kevon Boodie, Ricardo Adams, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Leon Johnson, Delon Heyliger, Jonathan Foo, Devendra Bishoo, and Royston Crandon are all raring to show there’s still “gas left in the tank.”
The stadium’s construction, fully funded by the government, is part of a sweeping G$10.9 billion sports budget. Work began in late November 2022, and the facility is now hailed as a transformative infrastructural investment in Guyana’s sporting landscape.
