Adrian Frater, News Editor
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE 2006 Western Masters League, which completed its first round of preliminary games without a sponsor, has attracted a belated $200,000 sponsorship package from Jamaica Beverage Company, through its brand product Busta.
Speaking at a press launch at the Aqua Sol Theme Park in Montego Bay, Colin Chambers, the area representative for the drink company, said the sponsorship package was an indication of their willingness to support sports as one of the cornerstones of nation building.
"We consider sports as being very important and we take great pleasure in assisting with its development," said Chambers. "All we are asking is that the players exhibit a high level of sportsmanship and discipline so that they can become good role models for our youngsters."
NEW NAME
As a consequence of the sponsorship, the competition, which is being played in honour of Elite Eight umpire and former FIFA referee Steve Bucknor, who is also a renowned western Jamaica sporting personality, will now be known as the Busta/Steve Bucknor Western Masters Football League.
In addition to the sponsorship, the league's steering committee also announced six new awards in honour of former players who have died over the past two years.
The awards are as follows:
Best Goalkeeper - The Busta/Patrick Wellington Award
Best Midfielder - The Busta/Donald Findlayson Award
Most Valuable Player -; The Busta/Winston Anglin Award
Best Defender - The Busta/Oniel Eccleston Award
Most Disciplined Team The Busta/Horace Foster Award
Top Goalscorer The Allan Dexter Award.
Unlike former years, the champion team will now take home two trophies the Steve Bucknor Trophy and the Busta Championship Trophy.
The beaten finalist will receive the Busta Good Performance Trophy.
In addition, members of the winning team will receive gold medals, second place silver medals and third place bronze medals.
Eleven teams, divided into two zones of six and five respectively, are contesting the competition which is in its 13th season.
The teams are as follows:
Zone A Hanover Masters, Violet Tourers, Seba, Falmouth and Infernal.
Zone B Challenger, Hornets, Reno, Anchovy, Queen of Spain and Glendevon.
