India strengthens its cultural and strategic ties with Jamaica by gifting a new electronic scoreboard to the iconic Sabina Park, underscoring the enduring friendship between the two nations through cricket.
The relationship between India and Jamaica is deeply rooted in cricket, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, as he joined Prime Minister Andrew Holness in dedicating a scoreboard at Sabina Park, gifted by India.
Sabina Park in Kingston is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
"The India-Jamaica story is written in runs, written in respect, written in friendship. Joined Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in formally dedicating the electronic scoreboard at Sabina Park, gifted by India," Jaishankar said in a social media post after the ceremony on Sunday.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
"May this scoreboard count many great innings to come. Among them, that of India-Jamaica friendship," he said.
Jaishankar also noted the absence of Jamaican cricket legend Chris Gayle at the event, saying he was "missed".
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening on the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago to further bolster India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.