S&G sponsors windball cricket

At a media conference at Sports & Games Limited at Trincity, Omar Hadeed, managing-director — expressed his company’s excitement at being one of the major title sponsors of this year’s competition.

Hadeed said Sports & Games shares the common interest in developing windball cricket at a community level and sees the sport as the fastest growing in the country.

Hadeed in expressing Sports & Games’ commitment to the National League who have organised the National Men and Women’s Windball Cricket League for the past seven years.

Hadeed noted the tremendous success of the NSL with whatever funding they have received from corporate sponsors and said their unique marketing methods is something other national sports organisations should emulate. The First Sport team uniforms will be used exclusively by all teams in the competition and hoped that with their continued support, the league would definitely benefit next year.

Terry Apping, chairman of the National Windball Cricket League expressed his appreciation to Sports & Games Limited for their support, demonstrated by their partnering with the NSL and most of all working with the organisation in reviving the communities.

He indicated that this year’s championships would take a new format as the NSL would be concentrating in developing Community Leagues in all the zones.

Teams will be playing at centralised venues making it easier for them to participate and easing the cost of travelling around the country.

Apping said that the zonals lasting eight weeks, would start in the Community Leagues with the top teams screened to play in division one (men and women).

However, the village teams will be playing in the division two (men) and for the first time the women’s division two with the main aim of developing the younger players and teams in both competitions .

From the Zonals (south, south east, south west, central, north, east and Tobago) the top 16 teams would then qualify to play in the nationals to run for approximately four weeks culminating with a national finals which would be a best out of three series finals at the national Hockey Centre in Tacarigua.

He said this year’s championships would take approximately 12 -14 weeks to complete with all the league prizes being paid immediately after the national finals.

Frankie Boodoo, marketing and public relations manager of the NSL indicated that the 2006 NSL national community leagues would kick off in different communities with a five overs KO competition in the following Zones — south zone, June 3, at Forres Park Claxton Bay; central sone, June 10, at Forres Park; Tobago zone, June 18 at Shaw Park Tobago; and north/east zone, June 25 at Sunrise Ground, St Augustine.

Teams playing in the 2006 Sports & Games national windball cricket league championships are bidding for $120,000 in cash and other incentives making it the most lucrative competition to be staged.

Winners of the community leagues in the men’s division will receive $5,0000 and the women’s Division $3,000.

New teams interested in participating are asked to contact the NSL Office at telephone number 658-5248 and or at 652-6875. Registration fee is $600 for men and $400 for women.

Forms are available at all Sports & Games outlets, Penal Specialists Centre, Shoe Zone in Rio Claro, Harold Joe Sports Centre in Tacarigua, Acids Stores in Chaguanas and Long Circular Mall, NSL Sports Centre in Marabella and Keane Gibbs in Tobago.

Competition starts on the Sunday, June 3.

Men Division One League — 1 $30,000, Challenge Trophy & Replica; 2 $14,000 & Trophy; 3 $8,000 & Trophy; 4 $4,0000; 5th-8th Cash incentives worth over $ 4,000.

Men Division Two — 1 $10,000, Challenge Trophy; 2 $4,000 & Trophy; 3 $2,000.

Women’s Division One League — 1 $10,000, Challenge Trophy & Replica; 2: $4,000 & Trophy; 3 $2,000 & Trophy

Women’s Division Two — 1 $5,000, Challenge Trophy; 2 $3,0000 & Trophy; 3 $2,000.