MONTEGO BAY, St James — DAVON Crump, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry has lauded the start of the Montego Co-operative Credit Union’s Western Business House netball league and has urged companies to encourage sporting interactions between companies.

Crump, who was addressing Saturday’s launch of the 16-team competition at the Montego Bay Cricket Club, said the Chamber fully endorsed the move.

“We all know that sports is a unifying factor and therefore the opportunity to have these many organisation and businesses represented here today, can only spell well for the human resource development and our labour market,” Crump said.

Arguing that competition among companies is healthy Crump said “we at the Chamber of Commerce understand this need and so we have a special sports committee whose job it is to foster and support programmes both locally and internationally that will develop the skills especially of our young and bright minds”.

He charged the netball association and the players to “set the standards for fair play and professionalism; you have a duty to be role models and will be, with the continued encouragement from our local corporate community”.

The 16 teams have been separated into two groups- Teachers, Half Moon, Vista Print, Sandals MoBay, and Grand Palladium are in Zone One while ACS, Iberostar, Sandals Royal, Jewels, Fire Department, and Round Hill.

The top four teams from each zone will advance to the knockout rounds.