TCL Group to Sponsor U-19 Tourney

Sat, May 24, '03

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has clinched a deal with Trinidad & Tobago's TCL Group of Companies to sponsor the regional Under-19 tournament, according to well-placed sources.

Details of the multi-year deal to have the TCL name appended to the annual tournament will be released at a press conference in Trinidad & Tobago on Monday.

The West Indies Under-19 competition has been without a sponsor for the last three years, ever since the expiration of a sponsorship pact with Canada-based Nortel Networks.

The 2003 tournament is scheduled to be held in Guyana in August.

There was some concern that the extended rainy season could hamper the tournament in Guyana but the board decided to head to the South American mainland because the costs of hosting the tournament -- travel and accommodation -- are usually the lowest in the Caribbean.

There are no gate receipts from the Under-19 tournament which means it is a net spender for the WICB. With sponsorship, the board's outlay will be reduced.

In return, the TCL Group will get brand exposure during televised Test and ODI matches in the Caribbean. This usually includes display ads on boundary boards at the major venues throughout the Caribbean.

In the past, sponsors like Red Stripe Beer, Carib Beer, Busta and Cable & Wireless have been offered brand exposure throughout the Caribbean using the WICB's marketing mechanisms.

The TCL Group is a holding company of seven operating companies in Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica and Anguilla.