THE Caribbean Premier League (CPL) nears the finish line with the season set to conclude at Providence Stadium on September 24. Guyana is hosting 10 games this year, including the semi-finals and the final, which will be held here again in 2024 under a three-year agreement.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors will challenge the best regional teams from Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis and Barbados for a chance to win the prestigious trophy. Last week ExxonMobil Guyana announced it had returned for the seventh consecutive year as a sponsor for the men’s team and the second for the women’s team.

In announcing the sponsorship President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, said “We are very excited at ExxonMobil Guyana for the seventh consecutive year as the sponsors of the Guyana Amazon Warriors. This has been forged in the spirit of partnership, one where we have renewed our commitment to compete, our commitment to unity, our commitment to teamwork.”
The company’s exclusive sponsorship of the Warriors has included support for uniforms, training, and travel. In highlighting the importance of the sponsorship, Chairman of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop noted, “Cricket in general, and Warriors T-20 Cricket, in particular, has come to define Guyanese unity and pride as a people since CPL’s launch in 2013, and ExxonMobil Guyana has enthusiastically embraced and supported our passion.”

To date, ExxonMobil Guyana has invested over GY$4 billion in sport and other community initiatives. Sports benefit communities at all levels and especially the youth. Some 6,000 Guyanese students were in the stands at Providence Stadium last week. ExxonMobil Guyana has also been investing in upgrading sporting infrastructure at the community level, most notably at Friendship, East Coast Demerara and at Retrieve in Linden.
These investments allow for a more enjoyable experience both for players and fans. Furthermore, these investments in infrastructure will have benefits reaching far beyond the 2023 CPL season.

As a cultural staple, the significance of cricket cannot be overestimated. Cricket and Guyana’s national team are a symbol of national pride. This is easily illustrated with the company’s recent GY$4 million-dollar sponsorship of a Primary School Tapeball Tournament. The winning school, Stella Maris Primary, is to be adopted by the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
It is significant that ExxonMobil Guyana has chosen to expand beyond its business pursuits and actively invest in communities. In addition to sponsoring the Warriors, ExxonMobil has committed to invest in the Guyanese community and Guyanese people. These pursuits include programmes helping children and other youth, training women, and fostering a competitive business community in Guyana.

ExxonMobil Guyana has had a long running partnership with the Volunteer Youth Corps Inc. (VYC), providing funding to the programme which enables volunteers to host critical afterschool services for children. With over GY$113 million (US$565,000) donated since ExxonMobil began this partnership in 2012, thousands of youths have been able to benefit from the programme. ExxonMobil Guyana’s 2022 contribution helped support the continuation of the VYC’s STEM after-school programme.

Additionally, ExxonMobil has also made direct investments in cultivating the careers of Guyanese women through its Global Women in Management programme. This leadership training programme has allowed women from various associations, NGOs, and other community institutions to hone their leadership and management skills and then use those newly learned skills to benefit their communities.

The company also has commitments through the Centre for Local Business Development (CLBD). The CLBD conducts training and educational programmes for those in and looking to enter the oil and gas industry in Guyana. In 2022, ExxonMobil and its contractors employed over 5,000 Guyanese workers, representing over 65 percent of the workforce in Guyana’s oil and gas sector. The companies also spent over GY$83 billion (US$400 million) with Guyanese businesses last year.

Whether it’s on or off the field, ExxonMobil’s commitment to Guyana and its people is a long term one. ExxonMobil has shown itself to be a true partner to Guyana with the company having invested more than GY$4 billion in community initiatives since 2015. As locals across Guyana watch the Amazon Warriors, we can be reassured by the fact that we have ExxonMobil on our team.