Samsung to Sponsor Jamaican Bobsleigh Team at Olympics

Above: the Jamaican bobsleigh team

By the Caribbean Journal staff

After its arrival in Sochi was once in doubt, the Jamaican bobsleigh team has now secured a major sponsor: Samsung.

It only seemed a matter of time before the once-cash-strapped squad found a major corporate partner, and the South Korean firm announced its partnership late last week.

“As we embark on the final weeks leading up to the start of Sochi 2014, we are constantly reminded that some of the most inspirational stories are not about medals, but about how athletes must overcome incredible obstacles on their journey to the Olympic Games,” said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, IT & Mobile Division at Samsung Electronics, in a release. “Samsung is proud to join the community of supporters from around the world who have come together to support the Jamaican bobsleigh team.”

Samsung featured the squad in a video campaign called “Keep on Pushing” last week, also arranging a chance for the current team members to meet with members of the now-famous 1988 Jamaican bobsleigh team.

Samsung said it also provided the team with “travel and training assistance” ahead of the games, along with Galaxy Note 3 and tablet devices.

“Samsung’s valuable support to the Jamaican bobsleigh team last year, when we had no other support, gave us the opportunity to compete the races we needed to qualify. I am grateful for Samsung’s faith in us.” said Chris Stokes, President of the Jamaican Bobsleigh Federation. “This year, we are excited to hear that our two-man team has qualified to compete in Sochi and we are grateful to our fans and Samsung for their support and encouragement.”

Watt is leading the team, joined by Marvin Dixon in the two-man bobsleigh competition.

A high-profile crowdsourcing campaign also helped the team raise funding from fans around the world over the last few weeks.