(From left) The head of Global Agent and Field Operations at Western Union, Edgardo Torres, Denver Nuggets NBA player Jamal Murray, Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Charles Griffith and NSC Director Neil Murrell.
By Morissa Lindsay
Western Union’s timely investment and joint partnership with the National Sports Council in the refurbishment of two basketball hardcourts located in the heart of the Orange Hill, St. James community has received praise from the Government.
During today’s opening ceremony held at the hardcourt in Orange Hill, Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Charles Griffith thanked the World’s largest money transfer providers for investing in Barbados, with Director of the NSC Neil Murrell
and Head of Global Agent and Field Operations at Western Union, Edgardo Torres, in attendance.
Scores of young national basketball players, NSC basketball coaches and staff along with Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Yolande Howard as well as acting assistant Director of Sports, Adrian Donovan, were also in attendance for the grand opening where NBA player and Denver Nuggets outstanding guard Jamal Murray conducted a basketball clinic.
“The fact that we are doing this in rural Barbados is a plus because the Ministry and Government, it is our intention to trigger sports at the grassroots level. To have this planted in rural Barbados can only redound to the benefit of those youngsters who will use the facility. At the Ministry we are actively looking as far as possible to get youngsters off the island through basketball scholarships and other areas. I am sure that this particular facility will augur well going forward.
“I want to thank Western Union for having the foresight to give back at this level; the magnitude of finances that were involved in this particular process. From the time I came to the Ministry I was asking the private sector to get involved with the process, get involved with developing our youth through sports. Sports, Community Empowerment and Youth; it is not often that I would come to an event such as this that impacts every sector of my Ministry of Sports, Youth, Community and this is doing exactly that because we have the fact that youth will be playing here,” Griffith said.
The Minister added: “We have the fact that this is bringing new energy to the Orange Hill community for those youngsters who will be involved in the process. I can only ask Western Union that when you are preparing your budget in the future that you look to replicate this across the island; I am pleading. I constantly say that the Government is pouring from a single cup and that particular cup is servicing every single Ministry.”
The hardcourts will also cater to the NSC Combined Schools Program and NSC Director of Sport, Neil Murrell, stated that this was six to eight months in the making and he hopes that it will encourage more persons to play basketball and possibly reach the NBA someday.
“This has been a six to eight months process between the National Sports Council and Western Union. It started some time ago in October 2021 when Edgardo Torres and a group from Western Union came to Barbados with the view of Western Union giving back to the Barbadian community. They had identified about four possible courts where they would want to refurbish and they ended up here in the beautiful community of Orange Hill.
“There is always a silver lining at the end of everything and the silver lining is that we have this refurbished court here at Orange Hill which would act as a court to be played on mainly by persons in the north but also by persons in the community. And we believe that coming out of this we will see more and more persons playing basketball and more and more persons from the community especially making it on to the NBA. That’s why Western Union would have brought down Jamal Murray from the Denver Nuggets to encourage that effort,” Murrell told those gathered.
Meanwhile, the head of Global Agent and Field Operations at Western Union, Edgardo Torres, who currently resides in Barbados, said he felt excited to share this new project with the NSC and by extension the Orange Hill community.
“Working with the National Sports Council of Barbados we are so proud to make these new basketball courts in Orange Hill available. The project is a perfect example of Western Union’s purpose to connect people and to connect to the border communities that we serve. The refurbishment of this court would continue to strengthen this wonderful community
and the people of Orange Hill,” Torres expressed.
Torres also shared that in the coming weeks local artist Alex Marshall is going to renovate the surface of the court. “This mural is going to highlight the heritage of Barbados sports culture so I am really excited for when you get to see that. I am proud of the company we have become Western Union; it is one that celebrates diversity, and is committed to doing business the right way in creating amazing social impact in the communities that we serve.” morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
