BSA gets remittance in the palm from Western Union

Remittance giant Western Union has signed on to be sponsors of the Barrouallie Sports Association (BSA) football and netball leagues. {{more}}Western Union marketing manager Kerrian Johnson stated that they were encouraged by the growth they saw in the competitions last year and this spurred the renewal.

“It’s important for us to be able to contribute to the development of sport in St Vincent and the Grenadines … Many budding talents abound in both the sports of netball and football and it is competitions like these that sharpen the skills of the participants. We recognise also the important role the officials play in making the games happen. Umpires keep the games fair, flowing and safe and we are happy to be able to contribute in a meaningful way to that,” Johnson said.

President of BSA Lorson Lewis spoke to the improvements they were able to make with Western Union’s sponsorship, particularly in the area of officiating and administration.

“A crucial part of our strategic plan for the netball competition is focused on the training of officials in order to further develop the sports. We did not just narrow the training to umpires, but also conducted training in the area of scoring and timekeeping. It was a pleasure to have a full slate of competent and knowledgeable officials throughout these competitions; their efforts cannot go unnoticed, as without them, it would not have been possible for the games to be played,” Lewis noted.

The Western Union funds will also be instrumental in the provision of officials for the football competition.

An upbeat Lewis continued: “The most important aspect to the execution of competitions is undoubted officiating. One must ensure that officials are properly prepared, assigned and apply the rules governing the sport without bias. Efforts are being made in the Barrouallie Football League to ensure these important factors are achieved.”

Lewis lamented that over the years, officiating has cost the association the greatest amount of funding outside prize monies paid to successful teams. He welcomed Western Union’s cash injections to assist with the training of officials.

Western Union’s sponsorships in St Vincent and the Grenadines extend to football, netball and squash. (RT)