TTCB – News

NGC powers T&T to CLT20 success in India
September 23, 2011

CHAIRMAN of the National Gas Company (NGC) Andrew McIntosh, left, presents the signed sponsorship contract for T&T’s  2011 Nokia Champions League T20 team to Azim Bassarath, president  of the T&T Cricket Board when the NGC sponsorship of the team was announced last week.
Photo courtesy T&T Cricket Board

THE FAITH shown in the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team by main sponsors National Gas Company (NGC)currently at the 2011 Nokia Champions League T20 tournament in India is playing a significant role in their early success.

This is the opinion of Azim Bassarath, president of the T&T Cricket Board (T&TCB) who said the Daren Ganga skippered team would not have convincingly won the qualifying matches without the support of NGC.

He is optimistic that the team would continue their advance through the main draw with the same skill and determination which impressed the officials of NGC to come on board and contribute more than $3 million to the campaign.

Bassarath said he deplored the recent attempts by “bandwagonists” to claim credit for the performances of members of the team in India and pointed to the involvement of NGC in the preparation of the team since earlier this year when it was confirmed that T&T would represent the Caribbean in the CLT20.

“The National Gas Company were unhesitant in their commitment to sponsor the team’s preparations and to be the primary sponsor of T&T at the Nokia Champions League T20. We are confident that their investment in a national cause is money well spent and will redound not only to the benefit of Trinidad and Tobago but the entire Caribbean,” said Bassarath.

He said NGC’s solid backing came against the challenging financial climate in the country and the cautious response of other corporate entities to the urgent and critical needs of the national programme to participate in a tournament of the standard of the Champions League T20. 

“When some were not enthusiastic to the idea of supporting the national team leading up to the Champions League T20, the National Gas Company exercised their corporate responsibility and sent a strong message of confidence and optimism to the young talented athletes of Trinidad and Tobago,” said Bassarath.

He described it as “unfair” and a “disservice” to sponsors NGC for others to now seek to bask in the glow of the performances of the team when in truth they played no part in ensuring the cricketers were well prepared to participate in the Champions League T20.

Bassarath said quite apart from their full-fledged association with the T&T team at the Champions League T20, the National Gas Company has an outstanding track record in contributions and sponsorships of programmes in education, human and social development, arts and culture, reforestation, community training, facilities development programme, construction project support and Community Awareness and Emergency Response.

He pointed out that NGC were the main sponsors of the T&TCB Twenty20 Premiership Club Cricket  Festival which kicked off the CLT20 preparations in earnest with a $500,000 contribution that involved enhanced prize money and other attractive incentives for the top 12 cricket clubs in T&T.

Also coming out swinging for the national cricket team early o’clock were top local bank  First Citizens and the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) who digged deep in their pockets to keep the players primed for international duty.

NGC’s total support  of the T&T cricket team totals $3.3 million of which $1.8 million goes to the 2011 Nokia Champions League  T20. At least $181,000 was for pre-competition preparation, $1 million in tournament sponsorship while two tranches of $300,000 each will be given as incentives to the cricketers based on their success in the later stages of the CLT20.

And to indicate NGC’s total commitment to the sport of cricket, $1.5 million will be put aside for the development of the sport and the club and zonal level.

Bassarath said it was ironic that those who now seek to steal the thunder of  committed and dedicated sponsors were the same who gained some unwanted publicity when they tried to deny skipper Ganga time off from his job at the company to lead T&T at the inaugural CLT20 in 2009.

Following the intervention of the T&TCB and a Government minister, Ganga was grudgingly given the time off without pay and went on to lead the team to the final, a feat he hopes to repeat  in the 2011 tournament.