Kwesi Mugisa, Staff ReporterTITLE SPONSOR Swizzle has sweetened its sponsorship deal for the 2006 Insports/Swizzle Primary Schools Athletic Championships with an almost 60 per cent increase in this year's amount.
A little more than $500,000 will be dished out for this year's meet which will take place from May 24-27 at the National Stadium.
" It is indeed a pleasure for Seprod to once again be associated with this very prestigious event," said sales and marketing manager of Seprod, Marcia Kitson-Wallace, at the event's launch at Pollyanna Caterers on Friday.
"We are part of the Build Jamaica Brand, not only in products that we manufacture, but also in terms of our investment in people. We as corporate Jamaica need to be here to help our young people," Kitson-Wallace said.
MAJOR CONTRIBUTION
The meet also received another major contribution from first-time sponsors Facey Commodity through its brand Kiddies Pharmaton. About 54 primary schools and 2,000 athletes, the majority of which will come from Kingston and St Andrew, are expected to take part in this year's event, including defending champions Spanish Town who will be keen on retaining their title.
In speaking at the launch, Dr. Winston Dawes, chairman of the Institute of Sports, encouraged the schools to continue to take part in physical activities.
"It is not only important for the athletes that are participating in the meet to take part in physical activity, but all students are to be encouraged as it is a good life habit to develop," he said.
Dawes also spoke about government plans to have qualified coaches in the schools in order for technical flaws to be corrected.
"Too many times we see athletes with technical flaws as national representatives because of poor coaching at the early level. We hope to make correcting that as a part of our future plans," he said.
