Valerie Estime, the conglomerate’s general manager for the Diaspora Region, told a launching ceremony here Wednesday night that she was very excited to sign the sponsorship.

“We’re here because Digicel is a lifeline of the Caribbean and Central America,” she said.

“Digicel is a strong support of football in the Caribbean and Central America. It is only normal that we are here tonight to kick off this event and give support to further the Cup.”

The Miami-based Estime, however, declined to state the sponsorship price tag and the terms and conditions of the contract but said the company would, in the remaining five weeks of the tournament, “roll out some exciting promotions and competitions” to support what is now called Digicel Caribbean Cup New York.

Curtis Chance, the Cup’s Guyana-born operations manager, said he was excited that Digicel has decided to come on board to enhance a tournament that has operated on a shoe string budget over the years.

“Today (Wednesday) is very exciting for Caribbean Cup soccer,” he said, stating that the championship, which started in 1992 with seven teams, had grown to 12 teams with little or no sponsorship.

“We do not get a lot of monetary support from companies in Brooklyn. Our fans have been very loyal.

“This partnership is very important. It brings together a reputable company with the resources to get to our goal.”

The 12 teams participating in the Cup are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Colombia, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Jamaica have won the championship for the last four years.