Remarks by EAM Dr. S Jaishankar at Unveiling of Friendship Logo & Gifting of Scoreboard Plaque at Sabina Park Stadium, Jamaica (May 03, 2026)

Prime Minister Dr. The Most Honourable Andrew Holness,
Leader of Opposition Mr. Mark Golding,
Honourable Minister Olivia Grange,
Honourable Minister Kamina Johnson Smith,
Mr. Donovon Bennett, President, Jamaica Cricket Association,
High Commissioners from both countries,
Distinguished guests, Cricket players, Cricket lovers,

Namaste and Good Evening,

As I stand here at Sabina Park, one of the most well known cricket grounds in the world, no words can fully capture my sentiments. I feel sense of joy in terms of connection, infact in many ways a real kinship because.

Sports brings nations together by creating shared experiences and fostering mutual respect. And cricket, in particular, has a special meaning for India and Jamaica, as indeed for all cricketing nations. It is a sport which is played and loved in a very large number of countries, and followed passionately and that's an understatement by over a billion people in India. That scale, that intensity naturally builds bonds between societies and strengthens the feelings for each other and certainly that is the case between us.

Now, as we heard from Mr. Bennett, the Sabina park ground has its own legends, it has its own history … he gave the Jamaican perspective. Let me add the Indian one and certainly for us, certainly for me, I would remember it as a ground where one of our cricketing icons Rahul Dravid scored a century here. And Virat Kohli, one of our great cricketing captains, cricketing players actually began his career I believe on this ground in 2011.

That in many ways is the India-Jamaica story, written in runs, written in respect, written in friendship.

Friends

Today, we dedicate a state-of-the-art electronic scoreboard, which is a gift from the people of India to the people of Jamaica, one that will enhance the love for the game and the comfort and the enjoyment with which people watch it.

And this is what one more step of our continued cricket friendship and support, which again we heard has a past which includes cricket kits in 2024 and floodlights a decade earlier.

Now, where India and Jamaica are concerned we may be geographically some distance apart. But I do want to say that in spirit, in our struggle, in our aspirations we are indeed very close. Both our nations have come out of a shared history, we are proud developing nations today of the global South. We have made our place for ourselves in the international community.

And India has stood with Jamaica in times of celebration, in times of sport, as well as in moments of difficulty. When hurricanes struck, when COVID brought the world to its knees, India has been among those who responded quickly with humanitarian relief, with medicines, with vaccines because at the end of the day that is what friends are for, regardless miles between them.

As nations cooperate and compete on the global stage, we India and Jamaica always will seek our special connections that will define our ties and Cricket is very much one of them. In that world, Jamaica commands enormous respect, because it has produced greats like George Headley, Michel Holding, Courtney Walsh and ofcourse which Indian doesn't know Chris Gayle or Andre Russell. In the stadiums of IPL I want to assure you, Jamaican Cricketers are cheered by Indian crowds as if they are our own.

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 onto this ground again, and to add new chapters to our cricketing history.

Cricket is another way, a very good way of expressing our solidarity of shared history just as other commonwealth and the global south.

As we all today gathered here to unveil a plaque, let it stand as a testimony that India and Jamaica are not just two countries on a map.

We are two nations on the same side of history, on the same side of development and always on the same side of the global pitch.

May this scoreboard count many great innings to come. Among them that of India-Jamaica friendship.

Jai Hind. One Love.

Sabina Park Stadium, Jamaica
May 03, 2026