According to government officials, the inaugural Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football Girls Under-15 Championship had a tangible economic impact on Cayman Brac.
The tournament staged all of its Group D matches at the Cayman Brac Sports Field, with the final contests this past Monday to decide Wednesday’s quarterfinalists. Brac residents saw Canada and Haiti top a group featuring Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Minister of Tourism Moses Kirkconnell said Brac hotels enjoyed about 90 percent occupancy.
“It had a really positive financial impact on the local economy,” Mr. Kirkconnell said. “The Brac hospitality industry is made up of 240 registered hotel rooms and probably 90 percent of them were full. That includes the private accommodations registered with the Department of Tourism. People were using the rental cars, and it was a positive thing for the Brac.”
CONCACAF and Cayman Islands Football Association President Jeffrey Webb, Speaker of the House Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, Minister of Sports Osbourne Bodden and District Commissioner Ernie Scott were among the dignitaries in attendance at the start of the tournament.
Matches took place at a stadium that was recently approved by football’s world governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
For Department of Tourism Director Rosa Harris, the venue was a star attraction.
“The infrastructure, proximity to the U.S., and Cayman-kind spirit of our people make the Cayman Islands a prime destination in the Caribbean for sports tourism efforts to thrive,” Mrs. Harris said. “We were excited to be part of this tournament and look forward to welcoming future sports teams who will have the chance to experience first-hand the hospitality and logistical organization our country offers in the sports market.”
Work done on the Brac was among a number of stadium projects performed leading up to CONCACAF tournaments. Over the last 12 months, Cayman has hosted CONCACAF’s Under-15 boys, Under-20 women’s and Under-15 girls competitions. Government budgeted more than $2 million for renovations to the Brac field, the Truman Bodden Sports Complex, the T.E. McField Sports Center (the Annex) and the Ed Bush Sports Center.
Mr. Kirkconnell said the Brac venue was a great host.
“We’re extremely pleased to have CONCACAF put a group to play in the Brac. We completed work on the stadium and we were ready for CONCACAF. There was seating for approximately 700 people and every night the stands were full.
“The community came out, from young to old. The teams that were there not only made friends with each other, but with the people that came out as well. I’m very impressed with the young people on the Brac, all of the officials and CONCACAF staff had favorable reports. It was a really good example of how big tournaments operate and how the Brac is ready to run such tournaments.”
Canada and Haiti joined a slew of nations in the tournament’s knockout stages, which are being played at Truman Bodden and the Annex at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Jamaica and Costa Rica topped Group C, Trinidad and Tobago and Honduras paced Group B and the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas advanced from Group A. The local girls have been dominant thus far with a competition-best 15 goals and golden boot frontrunner Chelsea Green, who is the top scorer thus far with six goals.
Among those to attend the games in the Brac was Deputy District Commissioner Mark Tibbetts, who said it was a momentous occasion.
“I was there for the first two games and it did have a positive impact on the overall community on the Brac,” Mr. Tibbetts said. “All the comments I’ve heard have been positive, all the reports from CONCACAF in the Brac were all positive. There was a trickle-down effect in the economy, with the hotels and restaurants being full. It was a positive domino effect in the Brac, we’re well pleased with it and it was a major event overall. We look forward to more events in the future.”
While Mr. Webb has publicly said staging three CONCACAF tournaments in Cayman within 12 months will not be the norm, regional football is expected to have a continued presence on these shores. In Mr. Kirkconnell’s mind, the relationship between government and CONCACAF is strong and will reap more opportunities for football in the Brac.
“It is exciting to have these teams in the Cayman Islands for this dynamic competition, and especially in my home – Cayman Brac. The work of many people in the Brac and throughout Cayman has made this tournament a reality for our jurisdiction. We look forward to seeing the Brac stadium continue to flourish as a training ground for up and coming athletes and play host to future competitions of this calibre.
“We expect to be included in more upcoming tournaments. We have plans for the stadium to be used for sports tourism. We’re absolutely pleased and excited for sports tourism in the Brac.”
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