Anthony Foster, Freelance Reporter
Leesa Kow, acting executive for marketing, promotion and sales at Jamaica National Building Society, presents her company's sponsorship cheque to Colonel Errol Johnson, president of the Eastern Secondary Schools Sports' Association, during the championship launch at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel yesterday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) continues to open new doors in sports, launching its 22nd year as sponsors of the Eastern Secondary Schools Sports Association (ESSSA) at a press conference, yesterday, at the Hilton Kingston hotel.
The relationship will see JNBS sponsoring this year's Eastern Athletics Championships, which will be held over two days, February 4-5. Twenty finals, 14 in the field events, and six on the track, will take place on the opening day at Stadium East, while the opening ceremony and remaining finals will be held inside the National Stadium. TVJ will broadcast the Championships live.
The Championships, which will see Oberlin starting as defending champions, will have Juciful and Jamaica Public Service (PJS) as associate sponsors.
Very proud
The JPS will spend $1.3m, while Jamaica Citrus Growers, through its brand, Juciful, will spend $850,000.
Leesa Kow, acting executive for marketing, promotions & sales at JNBS, said her company was pleased to be associated with the championships again.
"We are very proud that our collaboration has achieved varying levels of success ... and that the participating coaches and athletes have made significant strides, both on and off the track over the years," she said.
Meanwhile, Winsome Callum, head of corporate communications at JPS, said: "The Jamaica Public Service Company is very pleased to be one of the sponsors of the 2008 Eastern Secondary Schools Championships."
She added: "This is JPS' sixth year of partnership with ESSSA and other sponsors staging this event, which has played a significant role over the years in the development and showcasing of our athletes in Eastern Jamaica."
Given this commitment, JPS pledged to take on sponsorship of the Champion Boy, the overall Champion Girl, two Class Two champions and 25 event winners.
The meet, which helped in nurturing talents such as Juliet Cuthbert, Nicole Mitchell, Rose Allwood, Jackie Pusey, Lilieth Hodges and Lawrence Christie, is expected to be dominated by last year's winners Oberlin, Morant Bay, Glengoffe, St. Thomas Technical and Yallahs.
