By Howard Walker, Staff ReporterF ROM NOW on, every time the Reggae Boyz win a World Cup qualifier each player shall earn a US$2,000 bonus.
Supreme Ventures Ltd announced the windfall for the Boyz at its Platinum Sponsorship press conference at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston yesterday.
The sponsorship deal, worth $33 million over the next 18 months, is specially designed to provide incentives to the team members and covers matches won and drawn in the qualifying series leading to Germany 2006.
Any victory will see the team earning $2.4 million and for drawn games, each member will receive US$1,000 or the team $1.2 million.
Brian George, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Supreme Ventures Ltd (SVL) said the Platinum Sponsorship was separate and additional to SVL's contribution of millions of dollars to the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) through the CHASE fund.
PLATINUM SPONSORS
"This announcement is a natural extension of what we have been doing over the years and we are proud to announce ourselves as Platinum Sponsors of the Reggae Boyz to the tune of $33 million," George said yesterday.
Meanwhile, Crenston Boxhill, president of the JFF, after receiving the sponsorship cheque, said it felt good in his hands and wondered what it would feel like to win the lotto.
"But this is not for me, it's for the players," said Boxhill. "Today we witness another great effort to be part of the grand stage as Germany 2006 kicks off," Boxhill said.
"The integral thing in this qualification is the players and their motivation to play well," he said.
SWIFT RESPONSE
Boxhill lauded Supreme Ventures for its swift response to the Prime Minister's appeal in June for private sector support for the World Cup campaign to Germany.
"Supreme Ventures has joined the ranks as sponsors of an excellent initiative incentive scheme attached to win or draw efforts home and away for the duration of our World Cup qualifiers," Boxhill added.
According to the JFF president, this has made the qualification more hopeful and realistic and the acquisition of this sponsorship was due to the work the JFF had put into marketing this campaign.
"As a federation we are heading into the direction which was a feature of our successful 1998 campaign. I dare say that in some ways the signals are greater," Boxhill said.
Supreme Ventures has joined Red Stripe, JPS and Digicel as major sponsors of the Reggae Boyz.
"We don't see ourselves as wagonists ... getting on board when the going is good," said the Supreme Ventures president.
"We have demonstrated that in our support for the JFF at the national championships and the Olympic qualifiers," he said.
"We are there with you when you prepare for the World Cup and not after you have reached," George said.
