$.25M needed to host regional badminton

The Trinidad and Tobago Badminton Association needs $250,000 to successfully stage the 2003 CAREBACO tournament carded for July 11 to 19 at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo.

The annual tournament will consist of two phases. The first will last three days from July 11 to 13 and will involve all Caribbean countries bidding  for regional supremacy in the team and individual events for both juniors and seniors. And from July 14 to 19, there will be the major emphasis on most of the leading exponents from member-countries of the International Badminton Federation. Top racquet-wielders will be involved in the individual events — men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles as well as mixed doubles.

They will all be seeking to gain valuable bonus points to enhance their world ranking for selection for the 2004 Olympics Games to be held in Athens. In addition, the top performers will also get the opportunity of participating in the World Grand Prix and the next Commonwealth Games. According to the TTBA president, Ronald Clarke, the association was promised $43,000 financial assistance from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. This would mean that they urgently need a further $107,000 from corporate sponsors and well-wishers to be able to realise their goals and give the country’s leading players to match their skills and competence against the region’s best. TT will enter players in the juniors (Under-13, 15, 17 and 19) individual events; juniors team events (Under 19 category only) and seniors individual and team events.

Since 1999, the International Badminton Federation (IBF) sanctioned the CAREBACO tournament as a Grade “A” championships, which allows players to receive bonus points for qualifications to high-level competitions. Since then, most of the top badminton countries have entered their leading players. And this year will be no exception with some of the game’s top exponents coming to TT. Clarke disclosed that among the established countries already confirmed participation are the United States of America (USA), Spain, Canada, Finland, Iceland and Iran. Jamaica, Barbados, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Suriname and hosts TT are the major contenders for the CAREBACO crowns. The TTBA are seeking various category sponsors, each enjoying different benefits as Official Sponsor (Platinum), Official Supplier (Gold) and Associate Sponsor (Silver) plus signage and logo endorsements, display booths and passes to the championships. The Local Organising Committee is headed by Robert G Dumas and also includes the TTBA’s officials Ronald Clarke (president), Patrick Cunningham (vice-president) and Stephanie Mitchell (secretary).