Big sponsorship set to boost ice hockey’s Olympic push in 2030 | Sports
The Jamaica Olympic Ice Hockey Federation (JOIHF) has entered into a major sponsorship deal with US-based Geneva Financial Home Loans.
The sponsorship, although not yet quantified, is expected to be global and contribute greatly to JOIHF’s goal of qualifying for the 2030 Olympics.
The short-term plan, according to JOIHF President Don Anderson, is to target at least three tournaments in 2022. Anderson says the association also intends to hold a two-week camp in Kingston during the summer. to help build the local component of the program and recruit and develop local talent. The ultimate goal of the recruitment and development campaign is the creation of a local league, one of the prerequisites for participating in the Olympic qualifying events.
Summer program
The plan is to start with roller hockey in the summer program and use that as a base to transition into on-ice play.
Geneva is a financial mortgage lender headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, with more than 130 branches in 46 US states.
Announcing the agreement with JOIHF, Rachel Caple, Director of Sales and Revenue for Geneva Financial and wife of JOIHF Board Member Sean Caple, said: “My husband is a Board Member and Director of JOIHF’s hockey operations, which makes the success of the program all the more personal. Being able to watch this program develop and grow has been rewarding and I can’t wait to see what they will accomplish in the long run.
Geneva was the main sponsor of the team which participated as an exhibition team in the October 2021 LATAM tournament in Fort Lauderdale. Jamaica had to play as an exhibition team, despite being the defending champions of the competition. The team was deemed too strong for the tournament, proving the theory by winning all six games played, scoring 58 goals with only 7 against. On the way to this record, Jamaicans beat Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Lebanon.
“Our business is built on the principle that humans support humans and this opportunity to support a team that has achieved so much in such a short time and is working towards the 2030 Winter Olympics was not to be missed.”