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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Sandals Resorts replaces Digicel as Windies team sponsor ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Luxury hotel chain, Sandals Resorts, has replaced Digicel as the major commercial sponsor of West Indies cricket, in a two-year deal which will run until December, 2020. In a partnership announced yesterday, the Caribbean brand will sponsor all West Indies representative teams from Under-15s through to the senior men’s and women’s squads. Sandals will also serve as kit sponsor and will also have major stadium branding and broadcast sponsorship. C r i c k e t We s t I n d i e s (CWI) chief executive, Johnny Grave, hailed the new partnership, noting that both Sandals and CWI shared similar regional objectives. “Windies cricket is the heartbeat of the Caribbean and we’re thrilled to partner with such a prestigious international brand as Sandals, which is also synonymous with promoting the best of the Caribbean to the world,” the Englishman said. “Sandals shares our determination to strengthen and grow cricket across the
region, as well as harnessing cricket’s power to drive economic investment and tourism.”
“Sandals Resorts’ investment will not only help fuel the game at all levels within the Caribbean but will enable us to
of cricket within the region.” Sandals sponsored the Hurricane Relief Twenty20 at Lord’s, which saw West
West Indies celebrate a wicket during the Hurricane Relief Twenty20 against the ICC World XI last week, in their first match with Sandals kit branding.
He added: “This announcement comes at an exciting time for CWI, as we have just embarked on an ambitious new five-year strategic plan.
achieve our strategic objectives. “We are thrilled that Sandals have agreed to partner us once again and that they are re-invigorating their support
Indies face an ICC World XI last Thursday, to raise funds to rebuild stadiums in the Caribbean which were damaged by the passage of hurricanes Irma and
Maria last September. In the past, Sandals has sponsored the domestic 50-over championship and has also sponsored West Indies away tours. Sandals chairman Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart said there was a natural synergy between the company and West Indies cricket. “Our relationship with West Indies cricket is not a new one, having sponsored tours to the UK in 1995, 2000 and 2004, and we have now deepened our support for the Windies with this sponsorship, which will cover all upcoming tours including the World Cup until the end of 2020,” said Stewart. “We have absolutely loved our association with West Indies cricket over the years, and we look forward with great enthusiasm to this latest partnership, which started with a win against the ICC World XI in the hurricane relief fund-raising match at Lord’s on May 31. “We look forward to the Windies continuing their win-
ning ways in the series against Sri Lanka, and the others to come.” He continued: “Sandals believes in the collective power of our Caribbean people, which has been at the heart of our success as the world’s leading all-inclusive company for 22 consecutive years. “Similarly, the Windies have been one of the most important institutions in fostering regional unity and pride. Sandals and West Indies cricket are two of the most successful indigenous brands to have come out of the Caribbean, which makes this partnership a natural fit, and we are proud to work alongside CWI once more.” The announcement comes just a week after CWI announced they were ending their long-term association with telecommunications giant Digicel, with a year still left on the deal. That commercial partnership lasted 13 years and followed on from a similar long-term deal with Digicel’s rivals, Cable and Wireless.
Favoured Justify draws the rail for Belmont
… but good news in the coming days, says CPL
Guyana National Stadium is only venue not listed in CPL 2018 fixtures
Guyana National Stadium
Mike Smith aboard Justify crosses the finish line to win the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, May 5. (Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)
By Stephan Sookram THE Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) announced fixtures yesterday with one notable absentee from the host venues - the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. The biggest party in sport as it is dubbed by the marketing committee is set to begin on Wednesday August 8 in Trinidad and Tobago and while all the other venues have match days, Guyana is not listed.among them There are seven fixtures with venues to be announced, five of which include the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW). The first is GAW versus St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on August 9 with another, two days later, when GAW take on St Lucia Stars as well as one on August 12 where GAW play Barbados Tridents.
Just under a month later on September 8 and 9, GAW play the Jamaica Tallawahs and then Trinbago Knight Riders meet at unnamed venues. The two play-off matches are also set for venues to be confirmed on September 11 and 12. The other regular host countries already have their fixture dates and locations with Jamaica set to host two matches on August 14 & 15. Trinidad and Tobago has three matches between August 8 and 11 and two matches on September 5 and 6 as well as the semifinal and final on September 14 and 16 while Barbados has four matches between August 25 and September 2. The United States has three matches between August 18 and 22 while St Lucia hosts five matches between August 16 and 25 while St Kitts has five matches between August 28 and Sep-
tember 4. Head of PR and Communications for the CPL, Peter Miller, confirmed the fixtures but stated that there is nothing to be worried about. He said, “We are just waiting for all the boxes to be ticked as far as location is concerned, so as things stand at the moment, it is still to be determined as far as venue is concerned, but there should be good news in the next couple of days.” “I’m sure it will be the good news that you would expect to hear,” he continued. Meanwhile, in a release, CPL’s Chief Operations Officer, Pete Russell, said: “Moving the tournament between seven nation states always represents a huge logistical challenge and I would like to thank our operations team for pulling it all together for another year.”
By Frank Pingue (REUTERS) - Justify will come out of the No. 1 post position in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes where the undefeated chestnut colt will try to become only the second winner of U.S. thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown since 1978. Justify was installed as a 4-5 morning line favourite during a draw that was held yesterday at the home of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets. The chestnut son of Scat Daddy needs a victory in the 1-1/2 mile (2.4 km) race to become the 13th Triple Crown winner and first since American Pharoah in 2015 to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Ridden by Mike Smith
and trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Justify has only run five races in his career and will be tested by some fresher horses in the Belmont Stakes, which has often ended the dreams of many Triple Crown hopefuls. “I never do like to draw the rail, but my horses seem to live in it,” said Baffert who trained the most recent Triple Crown winner. “I just feel that, I think most importantly, the horse is doing well. We have it. We can’t change it. So we’ll just deal with it.” Justify will line up with nine horses to his right as part of a field that includes five horses he beat during a rain-soaked Kentucky Derby and two he beat at a wet and foggy Preakness Stakes. Hofburg, who is trained by William I Mott and ridden
by Irad Ortiz, drew the fourth post and is the second choice at 9-2. Preakness runner-up Bravazo, the only other horse besides Justify who will be competing in each leg of the Triple Crown, and Vino Rosso were both installed at 8-1 while the rest of the field is 12-1 or longer. T h e D Wa y n e L u kas-trained Bravazo, who finished a half-length behind Justify at the Preakness, will break from the third post while John Velazquez, a two-time Belmont Stakes winner, will be aboard Vino Rosso in the eighth post. Showers are expected in Elmont New York, where the race for 3-year-old thoroughbreds is scheduled to start at 18:37hrs ET (2237 GMT) on Saturday.