Windies women still hunting sponsors

KINGSTOWN: The West Indies Women’s Cricket Federation are making a desperate call for financial assistance for their team to attend the International Women’s Cricket Council World Cup in South Africa next year. Ann Browne-John, coach of the team, again highlighted the uncertainty about the team’s participation because of financial difficulties when she gave the feature address at the joint awards ceremony of the St Vincent and the Grenadines men’s and women’s associations over the weekend. Browne-John said the task of securing sponsorship is becoming more difficult with each passing month.

“When a sponsor says I am sponsoring cricket in the Caribbean, it must not be sponsors of men’s cricket or women’s cricket, but one of all the cricket which is played in the region,” Browne-John said. “I will continue to lobby the business community and regional governments until they recognise that every man, woman, boy and girl needs equal support in order to progress.” The former outstanding TT cricketer and hockey player noted that the problem of securing sponsorship was not exclusive to the women, but it was also the case with the men. She was extremely disappointed to see that regional competitions are being played in the 21st Century without a sponsor.

“I found it a rather ridiculous situation that we recently had a limited-overs tournament being played in the West Indies without a sponsor, and this was a men’s tournament, so what are the sponsors doing,” she said “We are presently seeking sponsorship because it will be an embarrassment to the region, if the West Indies did not participate at this premier tournament.” Browne-John again outlined that the trip and the team’s preparations are going to cost almost US $200,000 and at present the team has not received any meaningful contribution. The teams taking part in the World Cup are hosts South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, England, Ireland and West Indies. (CMC)