JAMAICA’s national swim coach, Gillian Millwood, and Team Manager Georgia Sinclair were elated by a presentation of a $400,000 sponsorship cheque from Main Event Entertainment Group on Friday to assist the island’s 36-strong team to the Carifta Swimming Championships in Martinique from April 4-10.

Jamaica’s squad, which departs April 2, comprises a seven-member management team, guiding 18 male and 18 female swimmers who will compete across three age group categories, 11–12, 13–14, and 15–17 for both boys and girls.

Pointing out that the Carifta budget was a “tall order”, Sinclair welcomed Main Event’s sponsorship, emphasising “every mickle makes a muckle”. “We’re hoping this will be a long-lasting relationship between Main Event and ASAJ,” she said.

Overseeing the ASAJ High Schools and Tertiary Institutions Swimming Championships at the National Aquatic Centre, Sinclair highlighted the importance of sponsorship in aquatic sports.

“Every year we have financial constraints to fund the team,” Sinclair said. “We are happy to have Main Event as a sponsor on board.”

Donna Stuart, Main Event’s assistant vice-president, corporate affairs, said the group’s sponsorship of sporting events, which included Jamaica’s historic hosting of Americas Qualifiers for the FIBA 2027 Basketball World Cup, falls in line with its corporate social responsibility.

“At Main Event our corporate social responsibility is built on three core pillars — youth development, community/nation, and brand-building,” she said. “These pillars are not abstract ideas. They guide how we operate, how we invest, and how we measure our impact beyond business performance.

“Sports, especially youth sports, sit right at the heart of these commitments. When we support sports — which as a company we have made a concerted commitment to doing — we are investing in young people’s potential. Sports teach discipline, teamwork, leadership and resilience — qualities that cannot be taught in a classroom alone.”

Jamaica will compete in pool and open-water swimming in Martinique. Four swimmers will contest open-water events, having participated in local meets this year including Montego Bay’s Blue Marlins Open Water Meet and Jamaica Inn Foundation’s Swim For The Sanctuary, held Saturday, January 24 at White River House Beach in St Mary, rescheduled from November due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa.