The West Indies Cricket Board and Scotiabank have signed a new five-year contract to officially return the bank as the exclusive sponsor of the Kiddy Cricket Programme and the official bank of West Indies cricket.
The contract was inked at the headquarters of the Jamaica Cricket Association by WICB president Dave Cameron, WICB chief executive officer Michael Muirhead and Scotiabank’s director of marketing for the English-speaking Caribbean, Heather Goldson.
The new agreement will see the bank almost doubling its investment in the Kiddy Cricket Programme and is the longest sponsorship contract that the bank has signed with the WICB in its 14-year history of supporting the game.
Scotiabank’s renewed investment in the programme comes as a clear commitment to the development of West Indies cricket and a vote of confidence in the future of the game.
“We have seen significant progress in the Kiddy Cricket Programme over the last 14 years as title sponsors. We have reached over 750 000 children since inception, and have had the satisfaction of seeing Kiddy Cricketers rising to the pinnacle of the game as national and as West Indian players,” Goldson said.
“We are fully committed to continuing to play our part in growing the sport and building that next generation of cricket greats.”
Commenting on the renewal of the contract with Scotiabank, WICB’s CEO, Muirhead, said: “The WICB holds the Kiddy Cricket Programme as a high-priority initiative, as it is the base of the cricket development path in the region and we are very pleased to renew this sponsorship with our long-standing sponsor and partner Scotiabank.”
The new contract will allow the board to execute an expanded technical programme aimed at teaching foundation cricketing skills to the more than 150 000 students who are currently enrolled.
As part of the expanded programme, Scotiabank will be funding the provision of close to 10 000 Kiddy Cricket kits, including bats, balls, and stumps, to schools.
Kiddy Cricketers will now also benefit from an investment being made by the bank to provide additional technical coaches in schools, so as to meet the increased interest and participation in the programme.
Twenty new coaches will be added to the current staff of 48 working with the students in the various countries. (PR)
