Combined team gets new sponsor

Ainsley Walters, Gleaner Writer

JAMAICA's combined martial arts team has been rebranded 'Mannatech Fighters', after its new sponsor, Mannatech, an international nutritional supplement company.

Previously sponsored by Jamaica Beverages' Busta soft drink brand and fighting as the Busta Fighters, Jamaica's combined martial arts team caught the eye of Mannatech during the team's 30-odd match unbeaten streak in team fighting.

Mannatech distributes nutraceutical products, which have become popular in the world of sport nutrition. Its product lines include items to promote optimal overall health, better skin and weight control.

No stranger to Jamaican athletes, Mannatech has as one of its ambassadors MVP Track Club's Michael Frater who, along with his teammates, stunned the world at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 4x100-metre relay team with new Olympic and world records.

Captain of the combined martial arts team, Jason McKay, said Mannatech is renowned in international sports and is an accepted product within the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF).

McKay confirmed the sponsor change and said Busta was given first option to resign the team, but had declined.

The captain said although he was pleased with having an international sponsor, he was grateful for the sponsorship Busta had given for the last six years, and the vision of former Jamaica Beverages general manager, Paul Shoucair, who had started it all.

He pointed out that the rebranding will give the team even more international recognition, now that it is aligned to a product which sponsors traditional sports such as track and field, as opposed to Busta which is a regional brand.

"It also fits into new guidelines stipulated by ITF and other major martial arts organisations which, starting this year, will have to be compliant with World Anti-Doping Agency regulations.

In introducing the new sponsor, McKay said the team's core activities will now be focused on major ITF and International Sports Karate Association events, in addition to Olympic qualifying and Pan-Am tournaments.

"The team currently sponsors its members in their efforts to qualify in various competitions such as ITF, ISKA and also Olympic-style in which Kenneth Edwards and Nicholas Dussard are now involved in," he pointed out.

"This year, a half of the team's budget is to assist Edwards and Dussard in qualification for the Pan-Am Games in October and 2012 Olympics in London.

"However, we will be attending all our normal tournaments. What we won't be doing is hosting the Continental World Championships in Jamaica. That's how we can afford to sponsor Dussard and Edwards in their exploits," he added.

ISKA events

World team-sparring champs in ISKA since 2006, Jamaica recently became a venue for international martial arts, staging the Continental World Championship last year, in addition to getting the nod for the 2014 World Cup, plus other ISKA events.

The ITF World Cup is expected to bring 78 countries and more than 2,000 athletes to Jamaica.

Although perennially snubbed in national sports awards, McKay said the successful combined martial arts team will keep soldiering on.

"If an organisation doesn't believe we're worthy, we can't force people to appreciate us," he said, pointing out that it will be interesting to see what happens next year, considering Sheckema Cunningham and Alrick Wanliss both won individual bronze medals for sparring - firsts in the country's martial arts history at this year's ITF World Championships in New Zealand.