FLORENCE HALL, Trelawny – John Collymore, the director of security for the ICC Cricket World Cup Inc, yesterday boasted of an ‘impregnable’ security system in place for the opening ceremony of the international tournament on March 11 at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium.

“You never know what will happen, but our planning has attempted to move seamlessly. The venue security is supported by the national security and the national security is supported by the regional security and the regional security is supported by the international security, so we have four layers that anyone who wants to do anything will have to penetrate. And for what we are planning, it is going to be tough job,” a confident Collymore told the Sunday Observer.

According to Collymore, an attorney and retired assistant commissioner of police, yesterday’s assimilation exercise where everyone entering the stadium was searched, flowed smoothly. Noting that this will be the procedure during the tournament, he said it was heartening to see that the actual planning for Cricket World Cup 2007 had taken on assimilation.

“This is very important to match-day operations, and from what I have seen it is going on very well,” he said. “I have seen a number of assimilations and I am quite happy that things are going on right on event day.”

Collymore reiterated that every person entering Cricket World Cup 2007 events will be searched. “And when I say every person, I mean every person. Dignitaries and everybody will be searched, because the security and safety of the event is paramount to us,” he emphasised.

An electrifying atmosphere blanketed the grounds as the 1,700 performers went through rigorous paces under the watchful eyes of L’Antoniette Stines, a member of the creative and technical team in charge of dance and movement.

In a gala-like affair, Stines and other members of her team applied the finishing touches to the hundreds of performers on the well-manicured grass of the newly constructed field.

“For the past three weeks we have been coming to the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium with the crew and the performers to practice,” said Pauline Nelson, the communications manager of the Local Organising Committee.

“We thought it needed to happen because people can be overwhelmed for the first time seeing a stadium like this. So for the past three weeks, the cast and the crew have been rehearsing on the field and it has been going very, very well. Today, we have approximately 1,700 performers here performing. The next time they come here will be the 10th of March.”

Meanwhile, Martin Lewis, event director for the opening ceremony, was pleased with the performances.

“Today is the last major rehearsal in Trelawny, and it is coming on very, very good…predominantly West Indian music with a taste of African and Irish music, so it is not only West Indian but it reflects some of the teams that are coming in,” said Lewis. “Most of the performers are Jamaicans. You have teachers and trainers from all over the islands transferring their skills.”