Marathon shores up Jamaica’s Olympic effort with $12m support

KINGSTON:

MARATHON INSURANCE Brokers (MIB) has shored up Jamaica’s Olympic effort with a multi-million sponsorship deal ahead of the Tokyo Games in two weeks.

Having sponsored the Jamaican Olympic team to the London Games in 2012, and Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the insurance brokerage remains firm in, and is proud of, its continued support of the nation’s athletes on the global tracks.

“Standing with our athletes is an easy decision, as they give their all on behalf of a grateful nation, so Marathon will support as best we can,” says MIB director Keisha Burgher.

The new three-year partnership arrangement – amounting to some $12 million – with the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), was signed on Wednesday.

IMPROVED VALUE

Ryan Foster, secretary general/CEO of the country’s apex sporting body, noted improved value to its membership.

He said:“The JOA is extremely happy to bring greater value to our members and their athletes, and the expansion of our partnership is another way to ensure we continue this.”

Along with cash amounting to some $7 million, the insurance brokerage will provide free travel insurance for the members of the Olympic team, including all delegates. Every athlete who wins a medal in the Olympics will be rewarded with free insurance coverage for a full year.

“We look forward to working with the Jamaica Olympic Association and, as the official insurance brokers to the Jamaica Olympic team, would like to wish the JOA and all the athletes the very best at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games,” Burgher expressed.

As a key sponsor of the Jamaican team, MIB will also lend its support to a Women in Sport Olympic project, which will bolster women in sport and business. This project is set to be expanded to include at-risk girls in sport, and address underlying issues affecting female athletes through a series of workshops, webinars, and a lecture series.

According to Burgher, the discussions with the JOA were expansive, positive and very productive. She said there were also discussions about MIB’s possible support of the ongoing Athletes’ Commission chaired by Olympian Michael Frater.

“The programmes will include projects undertaken by Women in Sports Commission, Athletes’ Commission and our Stamina Education Series,” Foster noted.

FILE Keisha Burgher (left), executive director, Marathon Insurance Brokers, shakes hands with Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president Christopher Samuda (right), during a press briefing to announce Marathon and the JOA’s Tokyo 2020 insurance partnership. This announcement took place at Olympic Manor, JOA headquarters at Cunningham Avenue in Kingston on Monday, November 4, 2019. Looking on at centre is JOA’s Secretary General/CEO Ryan Foster.