Cricket Canada designates Scotiabank as Official Bank of Cricket

    TORONTO, April 10 /CNW/ - Scotiabank and Cricket Canada today announced a
three year sponsorship agreement that makes Scotiabank the Premier National
Sponsor and Official Bank of Cricket in Canada. While the agreement includes
exclusivity across the financial services sector, further terms were not
disclosed.
    "We are very proud to take on this preeminent national sponsorship of
cricket in Canada," said Rania Llewellyn, Scotiabank Vice-President,
Multicultural Banking. "The popularity of cricket in the United Kingdom,
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Guyana and the West Indies has carried over into
several of Canada's multicultural communities. We look forward to working with
Cricket Canada to enhance the sport's appeal across the country at both the
professional and community levels."
    The three year agreement makes Scotiabank the Premier National Sponsor
and Official Bank of Cricket Canada as well as of the national men's and
women's teams. The Scotiabank National Cricket Championships will be held May
17-19th, 2008 at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, near Toronto. The
sponsorship also includes The Scotiabank National Under-19 Championship which
is to be held later this year. In the coming months, Cricket Canada and
Scotiabank will be working to develop a children's- and youth- based program
that will benefit a new generation of players.
    This national agreement builds on the Bank's longstanding involvement
with cricket including the sponsorship of the ICC Cricket World Cup West
Indies 2007. This year, Scotiabank celebrates its tenth year as the Official
Bank of West Indies Cricket. In a joint effort with the West Indies Cricket
Board in 2000, Scotiabank launched Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket to help primary
school children gain and maintain an appreciation for cricket, a game that is
a significant part of local heritage, while building important interpersonal
skills that will last a lifetime. Since the beginning of the program,
Scotiabank has provided training and material to over 220,000 children.
    "Scotiabank has a longstanding involvement with cricket at the national
and community levels in other countries," said Ben Sennik, President, Cricket
Canada. "We look forward to working with them to bring a renewed Canadian
emphasis and ensure the growth of this great game whose roots in this country
can be traced back to the late 1700s. This is a great partnership that will
benefit both parties and ensure that cricket is coached the way it should be,
and help to strengthen Cricket Canada's Grassroots Development and Schools
Program structure."
    "We continue to look for new ways to serve Canada's multicultural
communities by offering products and services that reflect the needs and
interests of our customers," said Ms. Llewellyn. "Through our partnership with
Western Union, we offer a unique opportunity to send money to more than 200
countries from any Scotiabank branch. Earlier this year we were the first
Canadian-based bank to offer a Euro-denominated savings account and we
announced our partnership with Scotiabank Caribana."
    Established in 1892, Cricket Canada, formerly the Canadian Cricket
Association is the national regulatory body for cricket in Canada

    Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live
and work, both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally
and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic
activities, in 2007 the Bank provided more than $43 million in sponsorships
and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas
of healthcare, education, social services and arts and culture. Visit us at
www.scotiabank.com.