THE DIGICEL KICK START CLINICS HELPING TO DEVELOP REGIONAL FOOTBALL - David Monk speaks on the growth of the programme thus far

Tuesday 27^th May 2014 – Kingston, Jamaica
 

Senior International Development Officer for the Chelsea FC Foundation, David Monk, is impressed by the growth of the Kick Start Clinics program

The Digicel Kick Start programme has helped to identify and develop a number of talented young footballers who have gone on to become notable players at the national, regional and international level. Senior International Football Development Officer for the Chelsea FC Foundation, David Monk, spoke exclusively with www.digicelfootball.com to discuss how Digicel’s partnership with Chelsea FC has resulted in the growth and development of the programme over the years.

Monk described his first interaction with the Digicel Kick Start programme when he said; “Working with the players at the Digicel Academy in Barbados really showed me the personal way in which the programme is impacting young people in the region. While I was massively inspired by Digicel’s work to improve the quality of football in the region through its grassroots programme, I also realised that there was so much scope and room for growth.”

He went to explain further how the programme between Chelsea FC and Digicel has grown saying; “We at Chelsea FC definitely share the same ideology as Digicel, which is all about developing a group of football players, but also developing the coaches and the community. After the Academy last year, we evaluated the programme and created clear objectives as to what we wanted to achieve as a football club in the Caribbean and Central American region. Fortunately for us, our objectives were similar to Digicel’s and that has made our job much easier and the programme has grown from a grassroots football programme to a region-wide all-inclusive community programme. This sees us leaving a long-lasting legacy in the region as we now work with both male and female players, grassroots coaches, the community and Special Olympics athletes – which is a massive bonus for us.”

After hosting the Academy in 2012, Monk and his team were given the responsibility of selecting the boys who will attend the 2013 Academy by hosting the Kick Start Clinics for the first time, which proved to be beneficial as they were able to select a balanced group of players, representing all positions. He explains; “It was important for us to ensure that equality was shown to all positions on the football field when selecting players for the Academy. This freedom allowed us to pick players who had positional versatility and enabled us to run the Digicel Academy as we do with the Chelsea FC football programmes. Our efforts bore fruit as our players won the final match against the Barbados National football team – a match lost by the previous year’s team.”

The Digicel Kick Start Clinics – now in their eighth year – see thousands of aspiring young footballers from across 15 countries in the Caribbean and Central America try out for their chance to travel to the Digicel Academy in Barbados and train under top coaches from Barclays Premier League side, Chelsea FC.

During the week-long Digicel Academy, the top 42 boys from across the region get the chance of a lifetime to receive intensive training under coaches from Barclays Premier League side, Chelsea Football Club.

For more information please visit www.digicelfootball.com

ENDS

ABOUT DIGICEL GROUP 

Digicel Group Limited is a leading global communications provider with operations in 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific. After 13 years of operation, total investment to date stands at over US$5 billion worldwide. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams and individuals including the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt and Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel also sponsors the West Indies cricket team. 

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Myanmar Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information.

CARIBBEAN PREMIER LEAGUE TO HOST BEEFY’S BASH - Star studded charity game to be a highlight of final week celebrations in St. Kitts

Thursday 22^nd May 2014 – Kingston, Jamaica

(L-R) Brian Lara and Sir Ian 'Beefy' Botham

Today, cricketing legends, Sir Ian “Beefy” Botham and Brian Lara, together with media personality, Piers Morgan, have teamed up with the Limacol Caribbean Premier League to announce ‘Beefy’s Bash’, an all-star charity T20 game to take place at Warner Park, St.Kitts, on Tuesday 12^th August.

The match will bring together a host of celebrity personalities, cricketing legends and current stars, and will form part of an exhilarating week in St.Kitts, building up to the final of the Limacol CPL 2014 on Saturday 16^th August.

Cricketing royalty, Sir Ian Botham and Brian Lara, have been designated as captains for the two teams, and have issued a call to arms to cricketing superstars, personalities and fans across the world to take part. In spite of his chastening experience against Australian fast bowler, Brett Lee, over Christmas, Piers Morgan was the first to volunteer, and has been snapped up by fellow Englishman, Botham.

Sir Ian Botham said: “I know how important cricket is to everyone in the Caribbean, and CPL has done a lot to reignite the region’s love for the game. St Kitts is an amazing island of rare beauty, full of wonderful people, and I’m excited to give something back to the country through this charity match, as well as getting the chance to watch the closing stages of the CPL.”

Piers Morgan commented; “As soon as I got the call from Beefy, I knew this was something I wanted to be involved in. I¹m a huge fan of cricket and I love the Caribbean, so a chance to play in this special game and get involved with the Biggest Party in Sport was too good an opportunity to miss. I’ve already asked Brett Lee to join in, but this time playing WITH me - not breaking my ribs!”

Brian Lara added; "I’ve seen first-hand the impact CPL has had on the region. Players and fans love it, it’s great for our up and coming talent, and it provides an economic boost as well. I’ve always believed in the importance of giving back to the Caribbean, and this match will be a great way to do that. It’s going to be fun to play with and against some old friends and reignite some old rivalries, and I’ve already been contacted by plenty of fast bowlers keen to have a bowl at Piers!”

Damien O’Donohoe, CEO of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League said; “It was no surprise when Beefy got in touch about the game. The CPL is the Biggest Party in Sport and as a result, we’re naturally attracting some of the leading names in sport and entertainment. Beefy’s Bash is set to be a remarkable highlight of finals week in St. Kitts and expect some more big names to be announced in the coming weeks.”

The game will add spice to what promises to be a thrilling finals week in St. Kitts, ensuring that the CPL lives up to its reputation as the Biggest Party in Sport. As well as the two semi-final showdowns during the week, fans will be treated to a concert on Friday 15^th August featuring international and local stars, before the main event, the final of the Limacol CPL 2014, on Saturday 16^th August.

For more information, please visit www.cplt20.com

Fortinet Reporting Significant 2014 First Quarter Financial Results

Christ Church, Barbados: May 22, 2014

Fortinet Inc., a U.S. based global leader in high performance network security, has announced impressive financial results for the first quarter of the year ending March 31.

“The first quarter marked a strong start to the year, highlighted by billing revenue and operating profitability, each of which exceeded expectations,” said Ken Xie, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

The Fortinet CEO added that business momentum is being driven by the company’s focused execution and the strength, applicability and breadth of its technology, as evidenced by the demand for recently introduced products such as Fortigate – 3700D and 1500D high speed, low battery next generation enterprise data centre security appliances.

“Given the leverage we have seen from the recent growth initiatives, we remain committed to investing for growth and delivering security innovation to further extend our market share and leadership position globally,” the CEO said.

During the first quarter of the year, total billings were US$187.6 million, representing an increase of 26% compared with US$148.5 million for the similar quarter in 2013.  Total revenue was US$168.9 million for the first quarter of 2014, an increase of 24% compared with US$135.8 million in the similar quarter for 2013.

Within total revenue, product revenue was US$76.8 million, an increase of 32%, compared with the similar quarter for 2013. Services and other revenue accounted for US$92.2 million, an increase of 18% compared with the similar period for 2013.   

Building on its success across Latin America, Fortinet last year sought to increase its market share in the Caribbean by growing its high-end customer base in the eastern countries of the region, targeting key segments such as telecommunications carriers, large enterprises and financial organizations.

About Fortinet (www.fortinet.com)

Fortinet is a worldwide provider of network security appliances and a market leader in unified threat management (UTM). The company’s products and subscription services provide broad, integrated and high-performance protection against dynamic security threats while simplifying the IT security infrastructure. I’ts customers include enterprises, service providers and government entities worldwide, including the majority of the 2012 Fortune Global 100. Fortinet's flagship FortiGate product delivers ASIC-accelerated performance and integrates multiple layers of security designed to help protect against application and network threats. Fortinet's broad product line goes beyond UTM to help secure the extended enterprise - from endpoints, to the perimeter and the core, including databases and applications. Fortinet is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices around the world.

LIMACOL CARIBBEAN PREMIER LEAGUE UNVEILS FIXTURE SCHEDULE - The Biggest Party in Sport announces 30 games over 37 days on 8 different islands, as the CPL II countdown begins

Friday 9th May 2014 – Kingston, Jamaica 

CPL Winners Presentation 2013

The 2014 Limacol Caribbean Premier League, which will run from 11th July to 16th August, today announced the full set of fixtures that will have fans of the Biggest Party in Sport blocking out their calendar with 30 explosive games set to be played in just 37 days.

CPL II is set to thrill crowds across eight beautiful islands in the Caribbean; Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Trinidad and Tobago. The tournament is set to entertain record-breaking crowds both on and off the field, building on last year’s inaugural tournament won by the Jamaica Tallawahs.

Damien O’Donohoe, CEO of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League, said:

“It’s a thrill to be able to announce the full schedule for this year’s tournament. Each island will deliver a party like no other, and the combination of world class internationals and exciting Caribbean talent will thrill the crowds, ensuring that this year’s Limacol Caribbean Premier League will be like no other cricket tournament, combining unbelievable, dramatic action on the field and a unique vibrant carnival atmosphere off it.”

Week 1 – Grenada Carnival cricket fever hits the beautiful island of Grenada with the announcement that the National Cricket Stadium will host the opening round of games of the 2014 Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL), from Friday 11th July, with all six teams in action over the first weekend.

The National Stadium, which has hosted several West Indies matches since 2002, as well as six matches at the 2007 World Cup, boasts fantastic playing facilities, and will hold the biggest Limacol CPL crowd ever, with room for a massive 16,200 fans each day. The opening fixture, on Friday 11th July, will be Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Antigua Hawksbills, followed by Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel vs Barbados Tridents on the 12th and St. Lucia Zouks v Jamaica Tallawahs on the 13th July.

Week 2 – Guyana / Antigua The second week of the tournament is spread between Guyana and Antigua, with the Amazon Warriors and Hawksbills both looking to make full use of home advantage.

A packed Sir Vivian Richards Stadium is expected on 17th July as the Antigua Hawksbills welcome the visit of Mickey Arthur and the Jamaica Tallawahs, with coach Tim Nielsen no doubt hoping the mystery spin of Saeed Ajmal can unravel Chris Gayle and his travelling Tallawahs.

Meanwhile, 15,000 passionate Guyanese fans are expected to fill the Providence Stadium as the Amazon Warriors welcome Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel in the second game of the day, held on the evening of the 17th. There will be a distinctly Kiwi feel for the match, with Corey Anderson and Martin Guptill turning out for the home team, and Ross Taylor representing the Red Steel.

Four further games follow at the weekend, with the pick of the week coming on Sunday 20th July, and a rematch of last year’s final between the Jamaica Tallawahs and Guyana Amazon Warriors.

Week 3 – Trinidad / Barbados It’s set to be the tale of two Ovals in week three, as the Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad, and Kensington Oval, Barbados play host to the next six games of the tournament.

Barbados fans will be well aware of the threat posed by the St. Lucia Zouks in their opening game of the week (24th July), and will hope Kieron Pollard and his Tridents are able to contain the powerful batting threat of Darren Sammy, Andre Fletcher and Brad Hodge.

Kevin Pietersen could make his Zouks debut later that week, against the Red Steel on 27th July. It will be a big weekend for Trinidad & Tobago, with reigning champions the Jamaica Tallawahs visiting Queen’s Park the day before for a fantastic clash between two of the Caribbean’s favourite players, Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle.

Week 4 – Jamaica / St. Lucia With July drawing to a close, the CPL party will show no sign of stopping as it arrives in Jamaica and St. Lucia for the fourth week of the tournament.

Chris Gayle will hope to light up his home ground, Sabina Park, in his first home game of the tournament on July 31st. However, another legendary West Indian batsman stands in his way, with Antigua Hawksbills mentor Sir Vivian Richards hoping to provide his team with the inspiration to spoil the Jamaican’s homecoming.

Kevin Pietersen will discover the passion and support of his home fans when he arrives at the Beausejour Stadium for the first time in a Zouks jersey. Captain Darren Sammy will be expecting the box-office batsman to deliver in three tough games, one of which includes a clash with local rivals, Barbados Tridents.

Week 5  – St. Kitts The penultimate week of the tournament sees Warner Park welcome the CPL for the very first time, as the people of St Kitts and Nevis will get the chance to experience the thrill of the competition first-hand. With the stadium having undergone recent development to enable it to host CPL matches with the construction of state of the art lighting facilities, it is sure to be another exceptional host for the thousands of local fans expected from August 7th.

The first three games of the week will give teams the opportunity to settle some scores from the opening weekend of the tournament, with the first three fixtures mirroring those that took place in Grenada in July.

However, tension is set to reach breaking point when the final round of fixtures take place on the weekend of 9/10th August. Jamaica Tallawahs and St. Lucia Zouks will be hoping for one final push as they both play two games in as many days, including the hotly anticipated showdown between Gayle and Pietersen on 9th August.

Finals Week – St. Kitts The tournament will reach its climax during a packed week in St. Kitts, beginning with the semi-finals, taking place on Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th August.

In a change from last year, the first placed team at the end of the group stage will advance straight to the final, rewarding consistency across the season. The third and fourth-placed teams will meet in the first semi-final, with the winner of that match set to play the second placed team the following day for a place in the final. The remaining two franchises will then have the rest of the week to prepare, as the Biggest Party in Sport reaches its epic conclusion, with the Limacol Caribbean Premier League 2014 final due to begin at 3.30pm on Saturday 16th August.

Check cplt20.com for ticket announcements and further details.

ABOUT THE CARIBBEAN PREMIER LEAGUE:

Caribbean Premier League is a franchise-based T20 format cricket tournament that combines two of the most compelling aspects of Caribbean life – dramatic cricket and a vibrant Carnival atmosphere.  The inaugural CPL, billed as “the Biggest Party in Sport” featured six teams competing throughout the region in August  2013 – Jamaica Tallawahs, Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel, Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Lucia Zouks, Antigua Hawksbills.  The Jamaica Tallawahs, captained by Chris Gayle, emerged as champions.