India-Gifted LED Scoreboard Switched On at Sabina Park
Sabina Park has received a major facility upgrade with the commissioning of a high-definition LED electronic scoreboard, presented to Jamaica as a gift from the Government of India.
During a ceremony at the Kingston venue on Sunday, India's Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar, who is currently on an official visit to the island, unveiled a commemorative plaque recognising the July 2025 donation. He also pulled the cover off a newly designed India-Jamaica friendship logo.
Prime Minister, Dr the Most Hon Andrew Holness, used the occasion to thank the Indian government and its people for the gesture and for what he described as their unwavering support for the growth of cricket in Jamaica.
"The scoreboard itself is a timely addition to Sabina Park, particularly as Jamaica prepares to return to the Caribbean Premier League this summer with our own new local franchise, the Jamaica Kingsmen," Dr. Holness said.
The Prime Minister recalled that in January 2024, India donated more than 90 cricket kits, valued at roughly US$50,000, to the Jamaica Cricket Association. Those kits were subsequently shared among primary and secondary schools across the country.
"In 2014, India provided grant assistance of US$2.1 million for the installation of floodlights at this very ground. India has been a consistent and generous partner in building the infrastructure of Jamaican sports, and we are most grateful," Dr. Holness said.
The Prime Minister suggested that the new friendship logo captures the warmth, endurance and creativity of the relationship between the two nations, adding that the bond between Jamaica and India predates formal diplomacy and is rooted in a shared passion for cricket.
"Nowhere is this more beautifully demonstrated than in the mutual admiration our two nations hold for each other's great players. Indian cricket fans, many of whom have never set foot in Jamaica, share Jamaica's deep affection for the universe boss, Chris Gayle. Jamaican fans, in turn, have long revered the little master, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sabina Park has its own history with him," Dr. Holness said.
Dr. Jaishankar, in his own remarks, said the new board would deepen the love of the game and improve the experience of fans watching from the stands. He echoed the Prime Minister's view, noting that Jamaican cricketers are cheered by Indian spectators as though they were Indian players themselves.
"The last time India played at Sabina Park was 2017. I hope today's ceremony plants the seeds for the return of Indian cricketers to walk into this ground again and to add new chapters to our cricketing history," Dr. Jaishankar shared.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, said the Government remains determined to keep Sabina Park at the centre of regional and international cricket.
"We have expended significant resources to make Sabina Park, fit for modern cricket. We installed new lights last year that enabled Sabina Park to, for the first time, host day and night Test and T20 matches," she said.
Minister Grange said Jamaica welcomes the scoreboard as another step in the modernisation of the venue.
"Working with all the stakeholders, we will enable and inspire more great moments right here at Sabina Park. We are committed to the success of our sports-development plan, which aims to develop all sports from the grass roots to the high-performance level," she said.
Syndicated from Jamaica Gleaner · originally published .