Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
STANFORD
TEXAS BILLIONAIRE Allen Stanford will present the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) with US$100,000 (J$6,498,000.00) today.
The money is the first tranche of the US$280,000 (J$18,152,400.00) earmarked for regional countries that will be participating in the inaugural Twenty/20 cricket tournament.
It is earmarked for the improvement of facilities, training and other developments.
While launching the tournament last October, Stanford made it clear that in order to create an atmosphere for each of the nations to excel within the tournament and to ensure their long-term development, he would have put aside $5 million.
The handover of the cheque to the JCA will be made in the General Aviation Centre at the Norman Manley International Airport. (NMIA)
"Stanford is expected to make a presentation of the first tranche of the US$280,000.00 earmarked for the programme to the JCA president Jackie Hendriks," JCA CEO Brian Breese stated in a release yesterday.
He added: "Jamaica have indicated their willingness to participate in the Stanford Twenty/20 Tournament to be held in September 2006."
Stanford, who will arrive in his private jet at the NMIA at 3:00 p.m., will be accompanied by four of his 14 legends of West Indies Cricket who are acting as advisers for the programme.
They are Andy Roberts (adviser for Jamaica) who will be making his second visit in connection with the initiative, Richie Richardson, Lance Gibbs and Ian Bishop.
The tournament, a single elimination knockout, is being sponsored to the tune of US$28 miliion, a total of which the winner take US$1 million (J$64,830,000) and the beaten finalist J$34,415,000.
BOARDS TO RECEIVE FUNDS
It was also reported that the cricket boards of the top two teams will receive US$200,000 and US$100,000 respectively, which must be used toward the development and improvement of the cricket facilities in those countries.
The Man-of-the-Match in every game will receive US$25,000 and the Man-of-the-Match in the championship game will receive US$100,000.
There will also be a monthly stipend of US$10,000 to support the players and coaches, and US$5,000 per month will be disbursed to be used strictly for the maintenance and upkeep of each country's facilities.
A Stanford superstar team will be selected by the 'legends' to play one match against two world class teams to be named. This will be a winner-take-all competition and the grand prize in each match will be US$5 million.
The 17 countries down to participate are Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, the British Virgin Islands, St. Vincent and Trinidad & Tobago.
