Adrian Frater, News Editor
Bryan: Team Jamaica must be about all of us, not some of us.
WESTERN BUREAU:
A ROW is about to erupt over the use of the term 'Team Jamaica'. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 2007 Cricket World Cup says it is wary about the partisan use of the slogan, for which it has a legal right and is using in its campaign to unite Jamaica for the 59-day tournament.
"It would be a tremendous tragedy if we mix it up (Team Jamaica) with the political footballing," said executive director of Jamaica Cricket 2007, Robert Bryan, in reference to the current use of the slogan by both the governing People's National Party (PNP) and the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
Mr. Bryan, who was speaking in Montego Bay yesterday at a meeting to sensitise stakeholders in western Jamaica about the region's need to derive maximum economic benefits from the tournament, said the LOC concept of 'Team Jamaica' is to unite the country.
"The Team Jamaica idea we are projecting is to put Jamaica first ... We are not into any narrow political game," declared Mr. Bryan, who noted that the LOC had borrowed the slogan from JAMPRO for the duration of the Cricket World Cup. "Team Jamaica must be about all of us, not some of us."
BRAND JAMAICA
Under an ambitious programme being masterminded by the LOC, in conjunction with JAMPRO, local stakeholders are seeking to develop a package geared towards ensuring that brand Jamaica benefits from the 20,000 to 30,000 additional visitors anticipated in the island for the tournament and the two to three billion expected television audience.
"This represents a wonderful opportunity to reposition Jamaica to really benefit from all the economic opportunities that will open up," said Arlene Martin, project manager of Caribbean Business Opportunity Services, which organised the meeting. "This is an opportunity to increase tourism revenue, increase foreign investments, develop a more competitive private sector, establish a fresh compelling identity for business, diversify our market and consolidate our creative industries," continued Ms. Martin.
