Scotiabank becomes Canada's sponsorship "all rounder" in new three year cricket deal

TORONTO, April 10 /CNW/ - Scotiabank and Cricket Canada today announced a three year sponsorship agreement that makes Scotiabank the Premier National Sponsor and Official Bank of Cricket in Canada. While the agreement includes exclusivity across the financial services sector, further terms were not disclosed.   "We are very proud to take on this preeminent national sponsorship of cricket in Canada," said Rania Llewellyn, Scotiabank Vice-President, Multicultural Banking. "The popularity of cricket in the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Guyana and the West Indies has carried over into several of Canada's multicultural communities. We look forward to working with Cricket Canada to enhance the sport's appeal across the country at both the professional and community levels." The three year agreement makes Scotiabank the Premier National Sponsor and Official Bank of Cricket Canada for both the national men's and women's teams. The Scotiabank National Cricket Championships will be held May 17-19th, 2008 at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, near Toronto. The sponsorship also includes The Scotiabank National Under-19 Championship, which is to be held later this year. In the coming months, Cricket Canada and Scotiabank will be working to develop a children's- and youth- based program that will benefit a new generation of players. This national agreement builds on the Bank's longstanding involvement with cricket, including the sponsorship of the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007. This year, Scotiabank celebrates its tenth year as the Official Bank of West Indies Cricket. In a joint effort with the West Indies Cricket Board in 2000, Scotiabank launched Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket with the aim of helping primary school children gain and maintain an appreciation for cricket, a game that is noted as a significant part of local heritage. Since the beginning of the program, Scotiabank has provided training and material to over 220,000 children.   "Scotiabank has a longstanding involvement with cricket at the national and community levels in other countries," said Ben Sennik, President, Cricket Canada. "We look forward to working with them to bring a renewed Canadian emphasis and ensure the growth of this great game whose roots in this country can be traced back to the late 1700s. "This is a great partnership that will benefit both parties and ensure that cricket is coached the way it should be, and help to strengthen Cricket Canada's Grassroots Development and Schools Program structure." "We continue to look for new ways to serve Canada's multicultural communities by offering products and services that reflect the needs and interests of our customers," said Ms. Llewellyn. "Through our partnership with Western Union, we offer a unique opportunity to send money to more than 200 countries from any Scotiabank branch. Earlier this year we were the first Canadian-based bank to offer a Euro-denominated savings account and we announced our partnership with Scotiabank Caribana." Established in 1892, Cricket Canada, formerly the Canadian Cricket Association is the national regulatory body for cricket in Canada. Scotiabank is committed to supporting Canadian communities: in 2007 the Bank provided more than $43 million in sponsorships and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas of healthcare, education, social services and arts and culture. E&OE