NFM $25,000 for Windwards cricket

National Flour Mills (NFM) of Trinidad and Tobago will sponsor the 2004 Windward Islands Under-19 cricket series. Their contribution is $25,000. This was revealed by Adrian Raymond of NFM Marketing Division yesterday at a press briefing at Wrightson Road Port-of-Spain. The tournament will be staged in Trinidad from March 29 to April 5. The series which includes six regional teams will bowl off on Monday and will consist of three rounds with the winners being judged at the end of the round-robin format.

Raymond added that NFM products are available in the Windward Islands for the past ten years and felt that it was time to give back something to the people who have supported them over the years. President of the Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control (WICBC), Lennox John said his Board was very thankful for the assistance of NFM and their help would go a long way towards unearthing talent for the Windward Islands and the West Indies cricket team. Anthony Harford of All Sports Promotions, who will run the series for the WICBC, said that the cost of the tournament was a little over $40,000 and that they have received assistance from SM Jaleel, makers of Busta soft drinks, and Trinidad Cement Limited to cover the difference of $15,000. He however stated that the title sponsors are NFM.

This is the first time the Windwards Under-19 tournament will be played overseas and it came about due to the fact that the only willing sponsors were from Trinidad and Tobago. Also the cost of staging the tournament here is much less. “While we can stage this tournament with TT$40,000 in Trinidad and Tobago, we will need about EC$75,000 to keep it in the Windwards. For instance when I can purchase a lunch for between TT$18 to TT$20 in Trinidad and Tobago you would have spend EC$25 to get lunch for the players,” said Harford.