For the 13th year running, gaming and sports betting company Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) has renewed its partnership with Netball Jamaica for the staging of the 2014 Netball Jamaica/Supreme Ventures Major and Minor leagues.

The announcement was made yesterday during the opening ceremony for the leagues held at the National Arena, National Stadium Complex in Kingston, by the company’s sponsorship and public relations manager Carlene Edwards.

During her address, Edwards echoed the reality of the harsh economic climate facing corporate Jamaica and gave a synopsis of a previous interview in which SVL’s president and CEO Brian George stated that: “Withholding of all unclaimed lottery prize winnings by the Government of Jamaica for split between the CHASE Fund and the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission (regulators of the gaming industry) will have a significant impact on our ability to fund many of our annual sponsorship and donation commitments.”

She further stated that: “Notwithstanding that statement, we are pleased to announce our support for the 13th renewal of the Netball Jamaica/Supreme Ventures Major and Minor leagues. Our sponsorship this year is valued at $4 million, which will assist with the execution of the leagues and include hosting of the opening and closing ceremonies, rental of the Leila Robinson courts for the games, public relations and marketing activities, prizes and trophies.

“We will also be awarding scholarships to deserving players and bursaries to coaches, valued at $600,000.

First vice-president of Netball Jamaica Dr Paula Daley-Morris, in delivering the speech on behalf of president Marva Bernard, thanked SVL for its continued sponsorship of Netball Jamaica.

“We are able to run these leagues annually because of the benevolence of Supreme Ventures Limited, and the priority that they have given to funding netball. I am always pleased to describe to my audience the uniqueness of the funding that Supreme Ventures provides. I call it multi-level funding, as each year the sponsorship amount not only contains money to cover the costs that are associated with the operations of these two leagues, but money to fund education and training for players who are deserving.

“This is unique to SVL and for this, we all are grateful. Supreme Ventures Limited is such a vested netball partner; they, in addition to funding the major and minor leagues, sponsored the coveted Sunshine Series in 2013, which saw Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls in fierce competition against England,” she said.

Twenty teams will compete in the Netball Jamaica/Supreme Ventures Major League, while 32 teams will participate in the Minor League.

SVL has contributed approximately $40 million to Netball Jamaica since 2002, through sponsorship and scholarship in the Major and Minor leagues (formerly Division ‘A’ and ‘C’), title sponsor of the Sunshine Series since 2011, outfitting of technical officials in the Sunshine Series from 2008-2010, and hosting of seminars for netball administrators.