BVI women’s softball nation team get financial help

Donation from Sports Minister. Photos by CM Farriganton Photographer and Andre “Shadow” Dawson

(JTV News) –– The Government of the British Virgin Islands is among several organisations that have made a financial donation to the British Virgin Islands Women’s National Team who are competing in the 2023 Eastern Caribbean Amateur Softball Confederation (ECASC) Championship in St. John, USVI, from March 1- 5, 2023.

Sports Minister Sharie De Castro handed over a $12,000 cheque to the national team on Monday night.

According to a press release, De Castro encouraged the team to “have fun and do their best and, of course, bring home the WIN!”

President of the BVI Olympic Committee, Ephraim Penn, also presented the association with a cheque valued at $7,000.

Donation from BVIOC Olmpic Commission

Penn mentioned the Olympic Committee’s long-standing support of women’s softball and strongly emphasised “the continuation of the development of the younger players to ensure the sport continues to grow”.

Also contributing to the national team was the business owner of Tradewinds Mexican Grill, Shamora “Molly” Penn-Maduro.

Her cheque of $3,000 directly contributed to the national team’s newly designed uniforms which are a collaboration with the local clothing brand Trefle Designs, the press release stated.

Penn-Maduro saod”this initiative will act as a small business for the association as they roll out different apparel and merchandise for purchase in support of Softball and Baseball in the Virgin Islands”.

Coach Neville Smith gave brief remarks by thanking all the sponsors for their contributions to the women’s national team and expressed, “the gold will be brought back to the BVI!”

A total of six teams will compete in the WBSC-sanctioned tournament: Jamaica, U.S. Virgin Islands, Aruba, Curacao, St.Maarten and the British Virgin Islands.

The winning team of this championship will automatically qualify for 2023 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in San Salvador, El Salvador, in June 2023.