BernardThe Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) development youth and senior programmes received a $12-million, three-year sponsorship boost from Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) ahead of this month's World Netball Championships (WNC), which will be held in Auckland, New Zealand, on November 10.
The sponsorship will provide $4 million annually to the association and position Scotiabank as the main sponsor of the Scotiabank Netball Training Camp and of the JNA.
It will also assist in defraying administrative and developmental costs at the senior level and ensure the continuity of the national netball programme.
In May this year, the JNA introduced the concept of training girls between age 10 and 13 in the fundamentals of netball. This training also provides the girls with lessons to improve their life skills, social graces and academics.
enhances commitment to youth
Heather Goldson, vice-president of marketing at BNS, said the sponsorship enhances her company's commitment to education and development of the youth.
"This is a winning strategy as it will allow us to make a significant and long-term contribution to the sustainability of a sport that brings so much pride and joy to Jamaicans, as well as enable Scotiabank to make a difference in the lives of these girls at an early age," she said.
President of the JNA, Marva Bernard, was delighted with the deal.
"It is the last piece in a puzzle to support the cycle of preparing players for the national team, identify umpires and coaches and getting parents involved in supporting the girls and the game from an earlier stage," she explained.
Chief executive officer of the JNA, Sonya Hamilton, said: "The training programme has been a limping initiative and this sponsorship is like lifeblood to the programme."
The BNS training camp is managed by former national senior team coach, Barbara Sinclair, who is assisted by national senior representatives, Simone Forbes and Sasha-Gaye Henry, who will leave for the WNC today with the Jamaica squad.
