DIGICEL LAUNCHES DIGICEL KICK START CLINICS 2010

July 19th 2010 - DIGICEL LAUNCHES DIGICEL KICK START CLINICS 2010

 

Former England and Liverpool legend, John Barnes, returns as Head Coach to search for talented young footballers to train with English Premier League Club, Sunderland AFC

 

Monday, July 19th 2010 – Kingston, Jamaica: Digicel, proud sponsor of football in the Caribbean and Central America, today launched the Digicel Kick Start Clinics 2010, featuring former England and Liverpool legend, John Barnes, as Head Coach.

 

Kicking off on July 20th in Trinidad & Tobago, before moving on to Panama, El Salvador and Honduras, the third Digicel Kick Start Clinics will see 100 talented young footballers receive expert coaching in the beautiful game. At the end of the four Digicel Kick Start Clinics, John Barnes will select eight of the most talented footballers, who will be given a once in a lifetime opportunity to train with some of the best football coaches in the world at English Premier League Club, Sunderland AFC. This is the third consecutive year that Sunderland has partnered with Digicel in the project.
 
Commenting on the Digicel Kick Start Clinics and his role as Head Coach, John Barnes said; “The Digicel Kick Start Clinics are a fantastic initiative which searches for the best and brightest footballers to give them the opportunity to train under professional coaches and to be in with a chance to spend one week training at the Academy of Light at English Premier League Club, Sunderland AFC. Over the past four years, we have seen a wealth of talent emerge from each of the countries the Clinics have visited and I’m excited to meet this year’s crop of talent.”

Jack Warner, Vice President of FIFA and President of the CFU and CONCACAF, said; “Football is one of the most popular sports in the world and I’m delighted that Digicel, as one of the biggest supporters of the development of football in the region, is hosting the Digicel Kick Start Clinics for the third year running. It is important that up and coming young footballers get the opportunity to learn from experienced international coaches.”

 

Digicel Head of Sponsorship, Karl Donnelly, said of the upcoming Digicel Kick Start Clinics; “We are delighted to be bringing the Digicel Kick Start Clinics back to the Caribbean and Central America. At Digicel, we are committed to supporting the development of football across the region and we believe that the Digicel Kick Start Clinics give aspiring young footballers a fantastic opportunity to learn valuable football skills under the guidance of professional coaches with a wealth of international experience.”

 

Sunderland AFC’s Marketing and Commercial Director, Lesley Callaghan, added; “Sunderland AFC is delighted to once again partner with Digicel as part of the Digicel Kick Start Clinics. This is the third year of our partnership and the alliance continues to flourish. We are delighted to be able to give these talented young footballers the opportunity to train at our club and in the Academy of Light, as we have one of the best training facilities in Europe. It will be an invaluable experience for them to see how a Premier League club operates and to train alongside a host of international football stars.”

 

The Digicel Kick Start Clinics are supported by Jack Warner, Vice President of FIFA and President of both CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union.


Digicel has been involved in a wide range of football initiatives designed to support the development of football in the Caribbean and Central America over the last six years. Digicel, which has operations in 32 countries worldwide, sponsors 17 Football Federations and Leagues, as well as the Digicel Caribbean Cup and the Copa de Naciones Digicel in Central America.

 

For more information, visit www.digicelfootball.com

 

ENDS


ABOUT DIGICEL GROUP

 

After nine years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 10.7 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for competitive rates, unbeatable coverage, superior customer care, a wide variety of products and services and state-of-the-art handsets. By offering innovative wireless services and community support, Digicel has become a leading brand in the 32 markets it operates in, placing these regions at the cutting-edge of wireless communications.

 

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its Caribbean, Central American and Pacific markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

 

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Championships and the Copa de Naciones Digicel, which are the Caribbean and Central American qualifiers to the CONCACAF Gold Cup. And in the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams including the Digicel Fiji 7s, Digicel Tonga Ikale Tahi 7s and 15s and the Digicel Vanuatu 7s and 15s. Digicel also sponsors the Vanuatu Cricket team.

 

In 2004, Digicel developed an American Idol-type talent show in the Caribbean – Digicel Rising Stars – to support aspiring young music artists. The annual talent show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Jamaica, Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago, ranking as one of the top-rated shows in each market.

 

Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information on Digicel.