CWI hopeful – Barbados Today

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Following the death of Jamaican business magnate Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Cricket West Indies (CWI) is hopeful that Sandals Resorts continues to sponsor West Indies’ floundering cricket brand. Stewart died yesterday in the United States where he had gone for treatment for an undisclosed illness.

CWI chief executive officer Johnny Grave said today that the regional cricket’s governing body was currently engaged in what was described as “positive discussions” with Sandals Resorts for the latter to resume as its primary sponsor. Sandals signed on as the CWI’s primary sponsor in 2018 in a partnership that covered all West Indies teams from U15s through to the senior men’s and women’s outfits. The Sandals’ logo featured on all West Indies playing and training kit as part of the deal that expired at the end of last year.

Grave confirmed to Sportsmax.TV that positive discussions were ongoing but that there was likely to be a temporary halt in those discussions following the passing of Stewart, the founder of the Sandals Resorts, and a keen sports enthusiasts. Grave indicated that the discussions would resume at an “appropriate time”.

Despite winning two global Twenty20 tournaments in 2012 and 2016, West Indies cricket has been in a rut for more than two decades, especially in the longest format. The West Indies, currently ranked 8th in Test cricket, 9th in One-Day Internationals and 10th in Twenty20 cricket, have struggled to sustain sponsorship over previous years.

Today, the importance of Stewart and Sandals to West Indies cricket was emphasized when CWI president Ricky Skerritt paid glowing tribute to the late entrepreneur. In a statement, CWI said Stewart, through his many commercial endeavours, had played a huge role in Caribbean life and development and emerged as “a stalwart of the Caribbean society, an iconic figure across the region, and a true supporter of the game of cricket at all levels”.

“CWI mourns the passing of the Honourable Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart OJ and sends our sincere condolences to his family,” Skerritt said.

“He was a life-long West Indies cricket fan, fierce champion of the Caribbean and a major commercial partner. He was also a true West Indian legend in his own right.

“He established unique and very successful Caribbean brands and created many opportunities for young men and women across this region to grow.”

Sandals, a luxury hotel chain, replaced telecommunications giants, Digicel, as the major commercial sponsors of West Indies cricket in a two-year deal back in 2018.

Then, Stewart described the partnership as a “natural fit”, pointing out that “Sandals and West Indies cricket are two of the most successful indigenous brands to have come out of the Caribbean”.

In addition to cricket, Stewart was also a pivotal figure in football in his homeland. The Jamaica Football Federation praised him last night for his part in assisting Jamaica football with sponsorship that helped to get the Reggae Boyz to the 1998 World Cup in France. The West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) also expressed its gratitude and condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Stewart. (SportsMax/WG)

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