Bermuda on World Cup standby

Bermuda is on stand-by as a possible World Cup host nation if any one of the seven venues which have been allocated matches fail to sign onto the Sunset Legislation by November 1.

Chris Dehring, chief executive officer and managing director of the tournament, said countries that failed to approve the legislation - which also covers the sale and distribution of tickets and the broadcast of tournament play - would risk losing their matches to stand-by islands such as Bermuda.

Earlier in the week, Dehring told the Nation that he was concerned that only Barbados and St Kitts and Nevis had completed the process of pushing the bill through their Parliaments. In a statement late yesterday, the Prime Minister's office in St Lucia said that parliament would meet to approve the legislation on October 24. The measures were introduced to Jamaica's legislature more than two weeks ago, but lawmakers there have yet to act on them.

The Associated Press also reported yesterday, that Guyana's parliament said yesterday it would soon take up legislation addressing logistics for next year's World Cup, one day after organisers warned host countries they could have their matches taken away if they fail to approve the special measures.

The clerk of Guyana's parliament, Sherlock Isaacs, said the legislation would be introduced on October 30. Lawmakers have not expressed any opposition and the measures seemed assured of passage. The other host countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The nine host nations have until the first week of November to approve a package of laws addressing tourist visas, customs and immigration, security arrangements, and ambush marketing issues.

"If they play politics with this one, we could end up losing the games and all that investment that people have made. Simply nobody will take the chance," Dehring was quoted by the Jamaica Gleaner.

The legislation would allow visitors who obtain a tourist visa in one host country to travel freely among the others. The laws will expire next year, approximately a month after the tournament ends.

About 100,000 fans are expected in the region during the March 11 to April 28 tournament - the first World Cup ever to be held in the Caribbean.