Home|Sports|Scotiabank comes on board as gold partner of CARIFTASports
Sheldon LongleySend an emailFebruary 10, 2023 253 5 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
About two months from the staging of the Oaktree Medical 50th CARIFTA Games, another partner has come on board, defraying the cost of the mega junior regional event.
Scotiabank Bahamas Ltd. is no stranger when it comes to the financial support of sports in The Bahamas, in particular, track and field. In fact, the Canadian banking institution is a former title sponsor of the national high school track and field championships and the Olympic Trials.
This week, the bank has partnered with the Local Organizing Committee of the 50th CARIFTA Games (LOC) as a gold elite sponsor – to the tune of $100,000.
Managing Director at Scotiabank Bahamas Ltd. Roger Archer said they are happy to assist in the staging of the region’s premier junior track and field event and look forward to what they anticipate will be a thrilling competition.
“We are really excited to be here and excited to be a part of the CARIFTA Games – this is indeed a monumental milestone for us,” he said. “CARIFTA is the cornerstone of regional athletics on the junior side and our region is the birthplace of some of the best athletes that the world has ever seen. For most of them, the CARIFTA Games has been a solid foundation. This is where our regional stars emerge on to the world stage. CARIFTA has nurtured world and Olympic champions. The CARIFTA Games remain an important part of our athletic tradition in the Caribbean, and Scotiabank is proud to support this iconic regional legacy so that our region can continue to create avenues for our emerging athletes. We are honored to be a part of CARIFTA and we look forward to welcoming our Caribbean neighbors to the stunningly beautiful islands of The Bahamas. Let’s continue to celebrate and move our region forward.”
Scotiabank has been based in the Caribbean for over 130 years, and in The Bahamas for over 65 years, and has regularly been a supporter of sports, and in particular, track and field.
“We have always been a part of the athletic landscape in The Bahamas and we will continue to support sports in the Caribbean,” said Archer. “We believe in unifying the restorative and transformational power of sports and we believe in its ability to change lives for the better. Track and field creates a future for the athletes and their families. Our athletes place the country on the world stage, and show that as a region, we are powerful. At Scotiabank, we are proud to support our athletes and invest in their future. We understand the success of regional institutions like CARIFTA and that our contributions help to continue the success of our regional athletes where they can get an opportunity to shine and unlock the power of their future.”
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg said Scotiabank’s support shows commitment and dedication to the growth and development of young people and genuine care for sports.
“On behalf of the government of The Bahamas, we are very happy for Scotia coming on board and being a gold sponsor for the CARIFTA Games,” he said. “CARIFTA is the birthplace of all of the greatest athletes of this region, and with Scotia being well established in the Americas and the Caribbean, the brand of Scotiabank will be well-accepted and seen at the CARIFTA Games. You have helped the government spend less money, so we are happy when corporate sponsors like yourself come on board. The government alone cannot fund all of the sporting activities, so thanks to Scotia for being an elite gold sponsor.”
The bank is respected as a valued member of the community where they operate through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteerism. They have been an integral part of building communities in The Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean region.
“We are delighted to know that Scotiabank has come on board as a responsible corporate citizen for the development of our communities, and particularly, the community of track and field,” said Drumeco Archer, president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA). “Scotiabank has made a clarion call, not only to the banking community, but to the entire corporate community, that we need to do more and give more to this sport, and more to young people. Scotiabank is the only Canadian bank that will have regional presence at the CARIFTA Games. Thank you for being so generous. It is a giant step for track and field and we say thank you.”
President of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Bahamian Mike Sands said The Bahamas did an awesome presentation in its bid for the 50th CARIFTA Games and that the BAAA always had the confidence that Corporate Bahamas would step up to the plate and assist in the funding of this mega event.
“The 50th CARIFTA Games was awarded to The Bahamas on the basis that the executive board of NACAC felt confident that The Bahamas would do a yeoman’s job,” said Sands. “Scotiabank is no stranger when it comes to supporting sports, in particular, track and field. On more than one occasion, Scotiabank has been a major sponsor of track and field. That is the kind of support that Scotiabank has shown throughout the years, and it is indeed a pleasure on behalf of NACAC, to say thank you for the continued support of sports in the country, and in particular in support of the BAAA.”
Scotiabank Managing Director Archer spoke proudly of their support of the development of young people, particularly in the key areas of education, sports and community awareness. He said their support of this event shows that they believe that the development of our youth is the security of our future.
A total of 28 of the 36 countries in the NACAC region have confirmed participation in the 50th CARIFTA Games, set for the Easter holiday weekend – April 8-10 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. Over 600 athletes are set to take part.
Former Austin Sealy winner Pauline Davis-Thompson, the LOC’s Honorary Dame of the 50th CARIFTA Games, said she is proud to be a product of track and field and the CARIFTA Games. The Austin Sealy Award is given out annually to the CARIFTA Games’ best athlete.
“Track and field is something that has made the lives of so many young people better. It has given them opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have had access to,” she said. “The growth I had as an individual and as a professional, I would not have had if not for track and field and the CARIFTA Games. We are grateful to Scotiabank for their support and their belief in the goals of the CARIFTA Games and what they mean to the development of young people, not just here in The Bahamas, but throughout the region as well.”
Davis-Thompson, the country’s first individual Olympic gold medalist, is encouraging more companies and corporate citizens to come on board with the LOC in the staging of CARIFTA.
Tickets are available to be purchased on the 2023 CARIFTA Games website, www.carifta50.com, or at the CARIFTA Games box office at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. For more information, persons can visit the website, send an e-mail to info@carifta50.com or call 808-Gold (4683). Interested persons can also follow the CARIFTA Games progress on its social media platforms @carifta2023.