Clico $.4M for cricket ‘live’

Colonial Life Insurance Company Limited (CLICO) has again come to the rescue of local cricket. Yesterday the local conglomerate forked out $400,000 to help facilitate “live” television coverage of the upcoming West Indies tour of England. This was revealed by Clico’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Ian Garcia at a press briefing yesterday at Clico’s headquarters on St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain. The Caribbean cricketers will be touring England for the Natwest triangular limited overs series as well as four Tests beginning on June 26. “We are committed to West Indies cricket and want to help in our little way towards the rebuilding process. We are investing $400,000 which represents a third of costs involved in bringing the series to local viewers,” Garcia said yesterday.

National Broadcasting Network (NBN) will be in charge of acquiring the further $800,000 to pay for the coverage. “We came up to the plate when coverage of the Zimbabwe and South African tours were needed and we are again coming forward all for the love and betterment of West Indies cricket,” he said. Clico will be using the series to launch a new product — the “Key to Life”. According to Anthony Harford who brokered the deal with Clico and the National Broadcasting Network: “Clico will be using our youngsters at Clico Preysal Cricket Club in a number of advertisements during the series to sell their products.”

Dominique Beaubrun,  the acting Chief Executive Officer of the NBN Group said yesterday he was confident that his company will be able to realise the remaining funds to bring the series. “What we realised is that once Clico comes forward the rest will be willing to be part of the project. We had this experience for the twin tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa. Revenue was hard to come by but as soon as Clico came forward with their significant sponsorship, the rest came on board,” Brobrun said. “Also during the last series we were over-subscribed and this gives me the optimism that we will get the required revenue to bring the cricket live from the United Kingdom. The West Indies team may not be doing as well right now but a lot of people care and want to play their part in rejuvenating the game in Trinidad and Tobago,” Beaubrun said.

WEST INDIES VS ENGLAND
MATCH SCHEDULE

Sat 26 June — NWS— New Zealand,  Edgbaston 
Sun 27 June — NWS — England, Trent Bridge 
Thu 01 July — NWS — England, Headingley
Sat 03 July — NWS — New Zealand, Sophia Gardens 
Tue 06 July — NWS — England, Lord’s 
Thu 08 July —  NWS — New Zealand, Rose Bowl 
Thu 22 - Mon 26 July — NPTEST — England, Lord’s 
Thu 29 July - Mon 2 August — NPTEST — England, Edgbaston 
Thu 12 - Mon 16 August — NPTEST — England, Old Trafford 
Thu 19 - Mon 23 August —  NPTEST — England, Oval