Jamaica News Blogger

CPL announces T20 franchise team names

admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:48:23 +0000

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has annouced the name of the six teams that will compete in the regional T20 competition scheduled to start July 30 in Barbados.

After weeks of speculation and hundreds of suggestions via social media, the much-anticipated CPL franchise team names have been announced and their logos revealed, the organisers said in a release Friday. “Our fans had some very inspired suggestions which were taken into consideration, and definitely contributed to the creative process which resulted in these names,” said CPL CEO Damien O’Donohoe. Antigua is named Antigua Hawksbills, which speaks to the hawksbill turtle, the most common sea turtle in Antigua, and an endangered species. Twitter:@ANUHawksbills; Facebook: www.facebook.com/AntiguaHawksbills The Barbados franchise is named Barbados Tridents for the the logo on the island’s flag which depicts a trident formed as a crown. Twitter: @BIMTridents; Facebook: www.facebook.com/BarbadosTridents Guyana, known for its amazon rainforest, will go by the moniker Guyana Amazon Warriors. The team logo was created using the shapes within the national flag “to create arrows and represent the dynamism of the team and its warrior spirit”. Twitter: @GYAmazonWarrior; Facebook: www.facebook.com/GuyanaAmazonWarriors Jamaica franchise is the Jamaica Tallawahs. “Tallawah is a Jamaican term for something or someone who is sturdy, strong and not to be underestimated. A crocodile is used in the logo because it is native to Jamaica, and plays an important part in the country’s history and folklore. It is also featured in the Jamaica coat of arms and many of the government’s official seals.” Twitter: @JAMTallawahs; Facebook: www.facebook.com/JamaicaTallawahs St. Lucia is one of four islands in the Caribbean known for its zouk music, and so a fitting name for the is the St Lucia Zouk, the CPL said. The logo is a colourful mixture of blues and yellows with a flame symbol that is derived from the national coat of arms. Twitter: @SLUZouks; Facebook: www.facebook.com/StLuciaZouks Trinidad & Tobago franchise is the Red Steel. The national flag and its dominant diagonal strips are recognisable and they are combined in a classic sporting logo. (Twitter: @TTRedSteel; Facebook: www.facebook.com/TnTRedSteel) The inaugural CPL match is between Barbados Tridents and the St Lucia Zouks.

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Economics 101: How the economy affects me

admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:43:23 +0000

THE IMF deal, the budget, the general state of the economy, the nation’s debt burden: we have all been bombarded with references to these obscure items that supposedly affect our lives. It’s the reason you can’t liquidate your inventory, meet your sales target, get a job, a raise or a promotion. The science of economics shapes our financial and social well-being in so many different ways and through so many different mechanisms. It is important for us to understand how these forces affect us and what they mean.

Here we start a series of articles on how economics is affecting us socially and financially. The populations of poorly managed economies are not just impoverished, but are also plagued by the pervasive social problems that result from economic contraction. Almost every problem that we experience as Jamaicans has its root in economics. In these articles, we will examine an event that results from a particular economic policy, and highlight the ways in which the Jamaican citizen is affected.

The movements in the exchange rate have proved to be of concern to all corners of our society: the shopkeeper, the media, and importers of all kinds. As at the end of May 2013, the Jamaican dollar had devalued by 6.96 per cent (or a loss of $6.47). The value of the Jamaican currency impacts the performance of the economy, and as such has a significant effect on our nation’s stakeholders.

On the ground, we as consumers will see our costs of living rising as imports become more expensive. The ultimate effect on us will be the need to consume less. It may sound counter-intuitive that cutting our expenditure and saving more can be a good thing; but our pockets and more importantly the wider ecomony may stand to benefit in this case.

Assuming that the demand for most of our imports is not completely unresponsive to changes in price, we should see a reduction in the volume of imports into the country. This will act to improve the island’s current account balance (i.e. the value of our exports less the value of our imports) in the same way the individual improves his bank balance by cutting expenditure and saving more.

Additionally, exports stand to benefit from a cheaper Jamaican dollar. What is a cheap currency and why would it be desirable? A currency is cheap if it takes fewer Yen or US dollars or Euros to buy one dollar in that currency. When a country’s currency is “cheap” the exports of that country are more competitive and attractive to the rest of the world. This should result in a higher demand for exports. Exports tend to be a large source of economic growth and they can be stimulated with just a simple change to monetary policy. As exports rise, job creation, access to foreign exchange and eventually the standard of living, should also increase.

Most poignantly, it’s interesting to note that economies all over the world are trying to decrease the value of their currency and consume fewer imports. Historically, this has been one of the “easier” ways to generate economic growth. China for example, has long been criticised by other developed nations for purportedly suppressing the value of its currency. The Chinese population has one of the world’s highest savings rates and is widely recognised for their fiscal prudence. According to the IMF, China has experienced economic growth of roughly 10 per cent on average per annum since 1996 and has helped to lift over 400 million people out of poverty .

Costa Rica, an economy that experienced growth of five per cent in 2012, recently increased its tax on foreign investment. Increased foreign investment usually results in an increase in demand for the local currency of the recipient country (the Colon in the case of Costa Rica). The higher tax is aimed at decreasing the demand for the currency and thus preventing the value of the Colon from rising. Brazil imposed a similar tax to ensure that its currency, (the Real) did not appreciate excessively during its highest growth period.

Most notably, in December 2012, Japan’s new prime minister took a bold step in the direction of aggressive monetary policies which ultimately had the effect of devaluing the currency. In March 2013, Japan reported economic growth of 0.9 per cent for the first quarter, which annualises to 3.6 per cent.

For the reasons outlined above, most growing economies across the world view a strong currency as an inhibitor to economic growth.

Marian Ross is AVP – Business Development at Sterling Asset Management. Sterling provides financial advice and instruments in US dollars and other hard currencies to the corporate, individual and institutional investor. Visit our website at www.sterling.com.jm Feedback: If you wish to have Sterling address your investment questions in upcoming articles, email us at: info@sterlingasset.net.jm

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England book Champions Trophy semi-final spot

admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:38:23 +0000

CARDIFF, United Kingdom (AFP) — England put a ball-tampering row behind them to book their place in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy with a 10-run win over New Zealand in Cardiff yesterday.

New Zealand, chasing 170 for victory in a match reduced by rain to 24 overs per side, were held by the tournament hosts to 159 for eight.

Victory saw England, yet to win a major 50-over competition, into the last four as one of two qualifiers out of Group A after their build-up for this match was overshadowed by ball-tampering allegations made against them by former captain Bob Willis.

If Sri Lanka beat champions Australia in Monday’s final Group A fixture at The Oval they will also feature in a last four that already includes Group B winners India and runners-up South Africa.

New Zealand could yet reach the semi-finals themselves if Australia win but fail to do so by a large enough margin to better the Black Caps’ net run-rate.

James Anderson, who finished with three wickets for 32 runs in five overs, reduced New Zealand to 14 for two by dismissing openers Luke Ronchi and Martin Guptill in the space of three balls.

Medium-pacer Ravi Bopara, in overcast conditions assisting seamers, took two for 26 in five overs.

England captain Alastair Cook, the man-of-the-match, was dropped three times by Nathan McCullum on his way to top-scoring with 64 in a total of 169 all out.

Off-spinner Nathan McCullum finally clung on to a return offering from his own bowling to dismiss left-handed opener Cook.

After New Zealand slumped to 61 for five, Kane Williamson (67) and one-day international debutant Corey Anderson (30) kept them in the hunt with a partnership of 73 before they both fell in the closing stages.

Coming into this match, England and New Zealand had already played each other in six one-dayers this year, winning three each across series in both countries.

And the gap between the sides in this match narrowed when Williamson completed a 48-ball fifty by striking Anderson for his seventh four before lofting Tim Bresnan for six.

Suddenly, New Zealand needed 36 to win off 18 balls with five wickets left.

But Williamson then holed out off Stuart Broad, although the paceman had a nervous wait before a review for a tight no-ball call went in his favour.

And 135 for six became 140 for seven when Corey Anderson was caught by James Anderson off Bresnan. That left New Zealand needing 30 to win off 10 balls.

Scoreboard

England

A Cook c and b N McCullum 64

I Bell c B McCullum b McClenaghan 10

J Trott c N McCullum b Mills 8

J Root c Ronchi b McClenaghan 38

E Morgan lbw b Vettori 15

J Buttler c N McCullum b Mills 14

R Bopara c Williamson b McClenaghan 9

T Bresnan run out (Franklin) 4

S Broad c N McCullum b Mills 0

J Tredwell c McClenaghan b Mills 0

J Anderson not out 0

Extras (lb2, w4, nb1) 7

Total (all out, 23.3 overs) 169

Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Bell), 2-25

(Trott), 3-100 (Root), 4-141 (Cook), 5-143 (Morgan), 6-159 (Buttler), 7-166 (Bopara), 8-169 (Bresnan), 9-169

(Broad), 10-169 (Tredwell) Bowl i n g : McClenaghan 5-0-36-3 (3w); Mills 4.3-0-30-4 (1nb); Anderson 1-0-4-0; Vettori 5-0-27-1; Franklin 2-0- 20-0; N McCullum 4-0-30-1; Williamson 2-0-20-0 (1w);

New Zealand

L Ronchi c Trott b Anderson 2

M Guptill b Anderson 9

K Williamson c Anderson b Broad 67

R Taylor lbw b Bresnan 3

B McCullum c Root b Bopara 8

J Franklin c Morgan b Bopara 6

C Anderson c Anderson b Bresnan 30

N McCullum c Buttler b Anderson 13

K Mills not out 5

Extras (lb8, w8) 16

Total (8 wkts, 24 overs) 159

Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Ronchi), 2-14

(Guptill), 3-27 (Taylor), 4-48 (B

McCullum), 5-62 (Franklin), 6-135

(Williamson), 7-140 (Anderson), 8-159

(N McCullum)

Did not ba t : D Vettori, M

McClenaghan

Bowl i n g : Broad 5-0-25-1 (2w); Anderson 5-0-32-3 (3w); Bresnan 5-0-41-2 (2w); Bopara 5-0-26-2 (1w); Tredwell 4-0-27-0

Result: England won by 10 runs

Man-of-the-Match: Alastair Cook (ENG)

Note: Match reduced by rain to 24 overs per side.

Toss: New Zealand

Umpires: Rod Tucker (AUS), Bruce Oxenford (AUS)

Third Umpire: Steve Davis (AUS)

Match Referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

CARDIFF, Wales — England’s Alastair Cook (right) plays the sweep shot as New Zealand wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi watches the play during their 2013 ICC Champions Trophy cricket match at the Cardiff Wales Stadium here, yesterday. (PHOTO: AFP)

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Smith to lead Windies A in T20s against Sri Lanka A

admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:33:23 +0000

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) — West Indies batsman Dwayne Smith will lead the West Indies A team against Sri Lanka A team in two T20 matches this week at Arnos Vale in St Vincent.

Smith, a prolific scorer in the just-ended Indian Premier League (IPL), is one of four members of the West Indies World T20 champion team named on the regional A team for the series.

The others are Lendl Simmons, allrounder Andre Russell, and leg-spinner Samuel Badree who were part of the squad which beat Sri Lanka to win the prestigious ICC World T20 Trophy at the R Premadasa Stadium last October.

The quartet will form the main part of the Windies A Team when the matches are played on Tuesday and Wednesday.

First ball in both matches is 2:00 pm (1:00 pm Jamaica time).

The 13-man squad includes four other players who have represented the West Indies in T20 Internationals.

These are: fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, off-spinner Ashley Nurse, top-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner and batting allrounder Christopher Barnwell.

The rest of the squad is seam bowler Kevin Cooper, who has performed with distinction for Trinidad & Tobago; wicket-keeper Chadwick Walton, who played two Test matches back in 2009; rookie allrounder Kyle Mayers; left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cotterell, and middle-order batsman Keddy Lesporis – both graduates of the Sagicor High Performance Centre.

FULL SQUAD:

Dwayne Smith (Captain)

Samuel Badree

Christopher Barnwell

Nkrumah Bonner

Kevon Cooper

Sheldon Cotterell

Shannon Gabriel

Keddy Lesporis

Kyle Mayers

Ashley Nurse

Andre Russell

Lendl Simmons

Chadwick Walton (wicket-keeper)

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Soldiers make light work of JMB in volleyball

admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:27:23 +0000

JAMAICA Mortgage Bank’s high-energy debut in the Supreme Ventures-sponsored 2013 Business House Volleyball Indoor League was soured by defending Mixed Team champions the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) in day one of league play last Sunday.

The JDF capped the 10-match day with a 2-0 win (21-8, 21-15) over the JMB Lenders, who, though spirited, did not display the consistency needed to make the soldiers “quick march”.

The victory over JMB was the second success for the JDF that day, as their male team earlier defeated the BOJ Gators 2-0 (21-7, 21-10). This was the most lopsided of the day’s scores, just eclipsing the 2-0 victory by the defending male champions, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), who rolled over the JUTC 21-10, 21-13.

The JCF also won their mixed team match, but by a 2-1 margin over the BOJ, 19-21, 21-7, 21-11.

In other results from the day’s play, the UWI Pelicans won their three matches. First up, their Lady Pelicans won against Guardian Life in a match that was more closely contested than had first appeared, yielding final scores of 2-0 (21-15, 21-16). Playing with less than six players, the UWI displayed more technical skills than the spirited Guardian Life females. The match was delayed between the first two sets however, as the officials and the organisers tried to iron out the interpretation of one of the tournament rules, which allow teams to play with less than six players on court.

The male Pelicans had a see-saw match against AMECO, eventually prevailing 2-1 (21-8; 19-21-21-9). The AMECO team on court was a far cry from the 2012 representation, lacking their usual self-confidence and spirit. In the UWI’s third match of the day, they came up against the Liquidators from the NWC, and despite a 21-16 first set victory by the NWC, the UWI swam away 21-14, 21-12 in the next two sets to win 2-1.

Other Sunday action saw the BOJ chomping on the NWC female Liquidators 2-1. As the defending female and overall champions, the BOJ came out with sharp teeth, and won the first set 21-5. The Liquidators, always known for their tremendous fighting spirit, fought to the very end of the sudden-death second set and won 21-20. The final set saw close scores in the early part of the game, but the BOJ was not going to start their defence of their championship on a losing note, and lose they did not, as they won the final set 21-11, to take the match two sets to one.

In the other match for the day, the JUTC made up for their earlier loss in the male division with a 2-1 victory over Guardian’s mixed team.

The Supreme Ventures Indoor League continues today at the UWI Gymnasium (Mona Bowl), with 10 more matches in the round-robin phase. Matches will start at 9:30 am and entry is free to the public.

A JDF player ‘dinks’ the ball over a block from the BOJ team in a day one male match of the Supreme Ventures Indoor League last week.

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Google launches Internet-beaming balloons

admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:22:23 +0000

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — Wrinkled and skinny at first, the translucent, jellyfish-shaped balloons that Google released this week from a frozen field in the heart of New Zealand’s South Island hardened into shiny pumpkins as they rose into the blue winter skies above Lake Tekapo, passing the first big test of a lofty goal to get the entire planet online.

It was the culmination of 18 months’ work on what Google calls Project Loon, in recognition of how wacky the idea may sound. Developed in the secretive X lab that came up with a driverless car and web-surfing eyeglasses, the flimsy helium-filled inflatables beam the Internet down to earth as they sail past on the wind.

Still in their experimental stage, the balloons were the first of thousands that Google’s leaders eventually hope to launch 12 miles into the stratosphere in order to bridge the gaping digital divide between the world’s 4.8 billion unwired people and their 2.2 billion plugged-in counterparts.

If successful, the technology might allow countries to leapfrog the expense of laying fiber cable, dramatically increasing Internet usage in places such as Africa and Southeast Asia.

“It’s a huge moonshot. A really big goal to go after,” said project leader Mike Cassidy. “The power of the Internet is probably one of the most transformative technologies of our time.”

The first person to get Google Balloon Internet access this week was Charles Nimmo, a farmer and entrepreneur in the small town of Leeston. He found the experience a little bemusing after he was one of 50 locals who signed up to be a tester for a project that was so secret, no one would explain to them what was happening. Technicians came to the volunteers’ homes and attached to the outside walls bright red receivers the size of basketballs and resembling giant Google map pins.

Nimmo got the Internet for about 15 minutes before the balloon transmitting it sailed on past. His first stop on the Web was to check out the weather because he wanted to find out if it was an optimal time for “crutching” his sheep, a term he explained to the technicians refers to removing the wool around sheep’s rear ends.

Nimmo is among the many rural folk, even in developed countries, that can’t get broadband access. After ditching his dial-up four years ago in favor of satellite Internet service, he’s found himself stuck with bills that sometimes exceed $1,000 in a single month.

“It’s been weird,” Nimmo said of the Google Balloon Internet experience. “But it’s been exciting to be part of something new.”

While the concept is new, people have used balloons for communication, transportation and entertainment for centuries. In recent years, the military and aeronautical researchers have used tethered balloons to beam Internet signals back to bases on earth.

Google’s balloons fly free and out of eyesight, scavenging power from card table-sized solar panels that dangle below and gather enough charge in four hours to power them for a day as the balloons sail around the globe on the prevailing winds. Far below, ground stations with Internet capabilities about 60 miles apart bounce signals up to the balloons.

The signals would hop forward, from one balloon to the next, along a backbone of up to five balloons.

Each balloon would provide Internet service for an area twice the size of New York City, about 1,250 square kilometers (780 square miles), and terrain is not a challenge. They could stream Internet into Afghanistan’s steep and winding Khyber Pass or Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, a country where the World Bank estimates four out of every 100 people are online.

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Tania Gilchrist stands outside her home below a red Google Internet receiver after agreeing to participate in Google’s balloon-testing programme in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday (PHOTO: AP)

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Campus hustle to corporate: Balcostics helping big business with intelligence

admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:17:23 +0000

LUWAYNE Thomas and Abi Gaye White started out helping fellow students with data entry and analysis for surveys on the University of West Indies campus at Mona.

Friendly gesture soon turned into “campus hustle”, according to Thomas.

“We helped a lot of persons and from that we developed demand from more and more persons,” Thomas said. “And they started paying for the service.”

Thomas and White formed the perfect team. Thomas, who majored in economics and social statistics, was responsible for the technical analysis while White, who studied communications, handled the marketing.

The pair graduated in 2009 and both decided to further their studies — Thomas did his Master’s while White went to law school, but they couldn’t shake off the entrepreneurial itch from school days.

Balcostics Limited was hence formed in 2011, targeting companies, organisations, consultants and individuals who require research solutions and are looking to outsource services, including surveys, data collection, data analysis, data entry and data visualisation.

“We saw the need and decided to expand and start a formal business,” said White from the company’s office at the Technology Innovation Centre inside the University of Technology.

But the transformation from campus to ‘real world’ did not come easy, as Balcostics found it difficult to gain corporate clientele.

“In 2011, when we started the company, we didn’t have any business that entire year because we were thinking corporate, and it was so difficult to get into the corporate sector,” White said.

“For that year we didn’t have any business at all. It was just about marketing,” added White, the marketing manager.

Thomas, the chief operating officer, interjected: “It was really about building the foundation, putting things in place to approach that different market because, on campus, it was mostly indidivuals.”

They started a website, made cold calls and presented their value proposition.

“Why should persons choose Balcostics for their research? We offer a new way for outsouricing data analysis, data entry and surveys,” Thomas noted. “We outsource different elements of the entire research process. You can have ownership of your research but pass on the technical elements to Balcostics.”

The sales pitch has been bearing fruit for the company, evidenced by its growing clientele, including Jamaica Money Market Brokers and USAID Jamaica. The biggest projects are from non-profit orginisations.

Thomas and White are Balcostics’ only two full-time workers but they employ up to twenty persons — mostly students — on a part-time basis for each project.

Among the projects they have done in the past is a research on the willingness of tourists to pay additional fees to help maintain and sustain Jamaica’s natural and cultural enviromnment. And, currently, the company is working on a project with the USAID to assess knowledge and attitude towards energy conservation.

Luwayne Thomas and Abi Gaye White have been partnering since attending UWI together. (PHOTO: NAPHTALI JUNIOR)

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North Gully shock Little Miami to book final spot

admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:11:23 +0000

Sport

BY PAUL A REID Observer writer

Monday, June 17, 2013

NORTH Gully Ambassadors scored a shocking 1-0 extra time win over Little Miami in Friday’s return-leg semi-finals of the St James Football Association’s Sandals/ATL Group Senior League at Jarrett Park to advance to the final against Montego Bay Boys Club.

Former national midfielder Hector Wright rolled back the years to conjure up some magic with a spectacular 25-yard free kick in the 118th minute, two minutes before the game would have gone into penalty kicks as North Gully Ambassadors qualified for their first-ever Senior League final after the first leg had finished in a 0-0 draw.

In the other game, Boys Club beat Fogo United 2-1 for a 3-1 aggregate.

North Gully’s win denied Little Miami a third straight trip to the final and stopped the team with the best form coming into the semi-finals.

Little Miami were unbeaten in their last eight games, scoring a handful of goals and were up against a team that had struggled in the third round, only qualifying for the semi-finals in their final game.

The veteran leadership of North Gully by Wright and fellow mid-fielder Omar Reid, however, levelled the playing field and shut down the Little Miami attack.

Leroy Christie scored twice in the first half for Boys Club to push their advantage to three goals after winning the first leg 1-0, and took Fogo out of the running.

Christie scored in the 14th and 38th minutes before Dwayne Miller managed to pull one back in the 50th minute for Fogo United.

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Deonarine hits ton but match ends in draw

admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:06:23 +0000

Sport

Sunday, June 16, 2013

ARNOSVALE , St Vincent (CMC) — All-rounder Narsingh Deonarine hit his ninth first-class century as the second ‘Test’ between West Indies A and Sri Lanka A ended in a draw yesterday.

Responding to Sri Lanka A’s first innings score of 314, West Indies A , who resumed on 155 for three, were dismissed for 294 in the afternoon after reaching 258 for seven at lunch on the final day of the four-day match.

Deonarine, who was not out 58 overnight with opener Kraigg Brathwaite on an undefeated 70, played a responsible knock of 110 that helped to revive the hometeam’s innings after they were 44 for three at one stage.

He and Brathwaite shared a fourth-wicket stand of 123 before Brathwaite was bowled for 77, falling as the first of five wickets for Sri Lankan left-armer spinner Malinda Pushpakumara.

The left-handed Deonarine played with a solid mix of defence and aggression and reached his century off 179 balls, while striking 13 fours.

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Holmwood, C’bar, Jago medal at Toronto Games

admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:00:23 +0000

Sport

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Holmwood, Calabar and St Jago teams earned first, second and third places, respectively, in the Scotiabank International High School 4×100 Relay Championship at the Toronto International Track and Field Games last Monday.

Holmwood girls finished first in the girls’ race with a time of 46.36 seconds. Calabar and St Jago came second and third in the boys’ race with times of 40.48 and 48 seconds. School officials had praise for their students’ performance.

“They felt very good about their performance. We must commend Scotiabank on the arrangements that were made for the team as well. We are very proud of their performance and hope that this will be the first of many other opportunities to compete at the Toronto Games,” said Paul Bailey, principal of Holmwood.

“The experience was wonderful. They are extremely grateful that Scotiabank took this initiative to afford them such a rich technical and cultural experience. In addition to competing for the first time at the Toronto Games, they also recorded their season’s best time. We are very pleased as well that incorporated within the short stay was a visit to a museum where some of the boys saw dinosaur models for the first time,” said Michael Clarke, coach of the Calabar High School team.

“They did reasonably well considering they didn’t have enough time to go in and acclimatise. We are very grateful for the exposure and that they were fully sponsored for this event. They did themselves, country and school proud at such short notice,” said Sandra Watson, principal of St Jago High School.

Through Scotiabank Bright Future, the bank sponsored 11 track and field teams from high schools in Jamaica, The Bahamas, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago, who made their way to Toronto to compete against other high performing athletes from high schools in Ontario, Canada and Michigan, USA.

“This is a good example of how excellent performance can open doors for young Jamaicans. Our parent company is a sponsor of the Toronto International Track and Field Games and the Scotiabank International High School 4×100 Relay Championship and supported this linkage, which is a great opportunity for our young athletes to gain international exposure. At Scotiabank our focus is on youth development through sports as we believe the same skills set needed on the track are also important in life,” said Monique Todd, Scotiabank’s vice-president of Marketing and Corporate Affairs.

Scotiabank Bright Future is the bank’s global philanthropic programme which brings together all of the bank’s charitable, social and community efforts and employee volunteer activities under one banner. Through the Bright Future programme, the bank’s charitable efforts are aimed at being relevant and responsive to the needs of each community at a grassroots level and provide support across the fields of health, arts, education, social services, sports and the environment.

(From left) Calabar’s Akeem McLean, Romario McKenzie, Javon Francis and Michael O’hara display their medals won at the Toronto International Track and Field Games last Monday. (PHOTO: SCOTIABANK)

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