Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) has long been more than a cricket venue. Home to Cricket West Indies’ headquarters and already a symbol of the region’s cricketing pride, the 20-acre site is now entering a new chapter, with plans for a phased redevelopment into an integrated Cricket campus bringing together elite sport training, sports science, education, broadcasting, sports tourism, hospitality and commercial activity. Following its announcement as a CIP-eligible investment option at the CIS26 event in May, The Citizen spoke with Cricket West Indies CEO Chris Dehring about what the development could mean for West Indies cricket, Antigua & Barbuda and the wider region.
Why is Antigua well placed to become a sports training hub?
The sports industry is a US$2.2 trillion global economy. But what surprises most people is that the largest segment is sports tourism, currently worth around US$670 billion and projected to grow to US$1.5 trillion over the next five years. Much of that growth is driven by sports training facilities, as athletes seek places to train.
The UAE had largely cornered the cricket market by building world-class facilities, even without a known brand in the sport. But the war has made the region less attractive, particularly for players travelling with their families. Consequently, demand for the Caribbean has built up again. People used to come to the Caribbean for low-tech pre-season training, but when the sports world went high-tech, we just didn’t have those facilities. In addition to meeting our own training needs, Cricket West Indies is building a core high-performance centre, which will include a sports science lab and athlete recovery facilities.
What makes West Indies cricket such a powerful platform?
West Indies cricket is a very loved brand. No country’s population gets upset when the West Indies beat them. They may be disappointed that their own team has lost, but they also feel good for the West Indies. That does not happen with any other team in world sport, which is why we are often referred to as the world’s second-favourite cricket team.
What we’ve done is unique in world history.
Chris Dehring
What we’ve done is unique in world history. These small nations came together through no contractual obligation and have remained together through thick and thin. The brand is much more than cricket. It represents how we took on colonial powers against all odds and beat them. People may not know that when the West Indies first toured England in 1928, the black players were not allowed to change in the Members’ Pavilion at Lord’s. Yet by 1963, West Indies cricket, led by Sir Frank Worrell, had become so loved and respected that conventions began to change to accommodate it. The West Indies became agents of social change, not only in cricket but far beyond it.
How can Cricket West Indies add value to the CBI industry?
We can promote the Caribbean as the best place in the world to live. Every year, we televise our international cricket series to a global audience of almost 300 million people, advertising you could not pay for.
Every year, we televise our international cricket series to a global audience of almost 300 million people.
Sport as a communication platform is also a powerful way to connect with the ultra-wealthy. Research shows that across different countries and wealth categories, sport consistently ranks among their top interests. They may be incredibly successful people, but many still fantasise about playing for Arsenal, Manchester United or even the West Indies. They’re still starstruck by sporting icons, and that level of admiration opens doors to some of the otherwise inaccessible rooms in the business world.
What will the campus include?
The overall project is called the Cricket West Indies Campus, and the first phase, which will begin shortly, is the High Performance Centre. This will be where West Indies teams train, where international teams can come to prepare and where athletes can access world-class facilities for sports science, recovery and regenerative therapies, with all the latest equipment and treatments available. Many of these services currently require players to travel overseas, so our goal is to bring those capabilities to Antigua. There’s also going to be a 140-room hotel that will serve as both a business hotel for Antigua and player residences.
Another key element will be an immersive mini-museum, The West Indies Cricket Experience, bringing the game’s history to life through interactive technology. Visitors will be able to learn the history of West Indies cricket and relive great memories through high-tech exhibits and displays. We want it to appeal not only to cricket fans but also to tourists interested in the Caribbean’s heritage and the integral role cricket played in our journey to independence and nationhood. Personally, I’m really excited about this particular piece of the project because it will not just earn money, it will educate.
We want it to appeal not only to cricket fans but also to tourists interested in the Caribbean’s heritage and the integral role cricket played in our journey to independence and nationhood.
Chris Dehring
Being from Kingston, Jamaica, I can genuinely feel the difference when I’m in Antigua. The lifestyle, safety, natural environment and quality of life all contribute to recovery and reducing stress. Of course, all the Caribbean countries have something special going for them, but I think Antigua is unique from a cricket perspective. Where else can you casually run into some of the greatest cricketers who have ever walked the planet while running errands?
How will the CBI programme work?
We expect there will be two parts to the offering. One is an investment model linked to the hotel development. The other is a development fund model, similar to that of the UWI, through which high-net-worth individuals who love West Indies cricket can contribute to the development while qualifying for citizenship. Participants will become part of an elite family. We’re still finalising details with the government, but the package will include a range of cricket-related benefits and experiences. We’re also exploring limited-edition collectors’ items and memorabilia linked to significant moments in Cricket West Indies’ history. For someone investing today, these items could become valuable keepsakes for future generations and, over time, may be worth even more than the original CBI investment. For the hotel, the model would be based more on fractional ownership of the property, with benefits such as a set number of room nights each year.
We’re also exploring limited-edition collectors’ items and memorabilia linked to significant moments in Cricket West Indies’ history.
Cricket gives us access to some of the wealthiest audiences in the world. One of the fastest-growing millionaire demographics in the US is South Asians. How do you reach that audience? Through sport. And which sport do they watch? Cricket.
What is the timeline for the project and the CBI offering?
Two years for the project to be totally complete. We expect to break ground this summer for the High Performance Centre, with completion by March 2027. I’m hoping that if we build it, they will come, which will create an even greater incentive to build the hotel more quickly. The CBI programme will be launched alongside to support the wider vision.
We expect to break ground this summer for the High Performance Centre, with completion by March 2027.
The people driving the process internationally are so excited because they see the potential, as there’s one place everybody wants to go in pre-season. Michael Jordan was here for Christmas. Do you understand what it might mean to a basketball team to come here to train in the hope of running into Michael Jordan? Messi vacations on Jumby Bay. Shaquille was recently here, too.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
I want to thank the Government of Antigua & Barbuda, especially the Prime Minister and the former Minister of Sports, for their full support. They immediately saw its potential, how it complements the wider wellness initiatives underway and the benefits it will bring to West Indies cricket, Antigua & Barbuda, and the Caribbean.