Cricket’s regional governing body Cricket West Indies (CWI) is preparing to launch the procurement phase for its transformative new High Performance Centre (HPC) development based in Antigua, chief executive Chris Dehring has confirmed. Requests for proposals (RFPs) for multiple core elements of the multi-faceted project are set to be distributed imminently, clearing the way for on-site construction to get underway in the coming weeks.
Dehring made the announcement during a collaborative symposium co-hosted by CWI, the Antigua and Barbuda Intellectual Property and Commerce Office (ABIPCO) and the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, framing the initiative as a landmark step toward building a world-class cricket development hub for the Caribbean region.
“Construction is going to start very shortly,” Dehring told attendees. “We will be issuing RFPs from our offices for the core high-performance centre, an indoor cricket facility, a dedicated television broadcast infrastructure, and an on-site hotel for the campus.”
While no official completion timeline was disclosed during the address, Dehring laid out a far-reaching vision for the campus that goes far beyond basic elite athlete training facilities. The full development will integrate a range of complementary components designed to support training, education, tourism and cultural preservation.
At its core, the project will house a fully equipped high-performance training centre outfitted with cutting-edge sports science technology, alongside a climate-controlled indoor cricket centre for year-round practice. A purpose-built television broadcast facility will enable professional coverage of on-site events and matches, while the on-site hotel will provide accommodation for visiting teams, athletes, event staff and cricket fans traveling to Antigua.
A key academic component of the development is a full-time residential CWI Academy, where young student-athletes will be able to pursue accredited academic coursework alongside specialized cricket training, creating a structured pathway for emerging talent to build both athletic and academic credentials.
The project also incorporates a cultural element: an immersive “West Indies Cricket Experience” museum that will leverage interactive audio-visual tools and artificial intelligence to chronicle the iconic history of West Indies cricket, and explore the sport’s outsized role in shaping the social and cultural identity of the Caribbean.
For Antigua, Dehring emphasized that the large-scale investment is designed to cement the island’s position as the world’s leading destination for elite cricket training, athlete rehabilitation and cricket-focused sports tourism. He noted that Antigua holds unique competitive advantages over other potential regional hubs, including its deep connection to generations of cricket legends, existing pre-built sporting infrastructure, and a century-old rich cricketing heritage that draws fans from across the globe.
As the procurement process gets underway, stakeholders across regional cricket and Antigua’s tourism sector are awaiting further updates on the project’s completion timeline.