Volunteers at TJB Village at the Penn Relays at UPENN in Philadelphia. Team Jamaica Bickle
Team Jamaica Bickle celebrates 25 years
supporting Caribbean athletes at Penn Relays
Caribbean L 44 ife, Jan. 11–17, 2019
The Confederation of North, Central
America and Caribbean Association
Football (Concacaf) on Wednesday,
Dec. 19 unveiled the dates and
kickoff times for the Round of 16
matches of the 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf
Champions League, the region’s
premier club championship.
First leg matches are scheduled
to be played from Feb. 19-21, 2019,
beginning on Tuesday night, with
three matches — Deportivo Saprissa
(CRC) vs Tigres UANL (MEX), CD
Guastatoya (GUA) vs Houston Dynamo
(USA) and Club Atletico Independiente
(PAN) vs Toronto FC (CAN).
The opening three games are the
first to be played among the eight
scheduled for the first week, as the
Scotiabank Concacaf Champions
League kicks off across nine countries.
Wednesday evening, CD Marathon
(HON) will face off against
Santos Laguna (MEX), Club Atletico
Pantoja (DOM) will welcome the New
York Red Bulls (USA) in the Dominican
Republic and Alianza FC (SLV)
will host CF Monterrey (MEX) in San
Salvador.
First leg action will conclude on
Thursday night, with Sporting Kansas
City (USA) vs Toluca FC (MEX)
and CS Herediano (CRC) vs Atlanta
United (USA).
The second leg Round of 16 matches
will be played the following week,
Feb. 26-28, beginning on Tuesday
night, with Toronto FC (CAN) vs.
Club Atletico Independiente (PAN),
followed by Tigres UANL (MEX) vs.
Deportivo Saprissa (CRC) and Houston
Dynamo (USA) vs. CD Guastatoya
(GUA).
Play will continue Wednesday
night with New York Red Bulls (USA)
vs. Club Atletico Pantoja (DOM), Santos
Laguna (MEX) vs. CD Marathon
(HON) and CF Monterrey (MEX)
vs. Alianza FC (SLV). The final two
matches on Thursday night, will see
Atlanta United (USA) vs CS Herediano
(CRC) and Toluca FC (MEX) vs
Sporting Kansas City (USA).
Fans will be able to follow all the
action through the Confederation’s
partner networks, including Univision
Deportes (United States), Yahoo
Sports (United States), Fox Sports
Latin America (Mexico & Central
America), Flow Sports (Caribbean)
and other local partners. For other
territories, the event will be available
on Concacaf GO (subject to territory
restrictions).
By Nelson A. King
The Queens-based Team Jamaica
Bickle (TJB) this week began celebrating
25 years of supporting Jamaican
and other Caribbean athletes at the
prestigious Penn Relays Carnival at the
University of Pennsylvania (UPENN) in
Philadelphia.
Irwine Clare, the Jamaican-born
founder and chief executive officer, said
the organization was formed “to coordinate
and deliver vital amenities to our
athletes at the annual Penn Relays.
“Our objective was to rally around
and support our athletes, our ambassadors
on the track,” he said, stating
that “it had become apparent that our
student athletes had unmet needs.
“We incorporated the community
to be there like all families should
be; to provide warm meals, comfortable
accommodations, reliable and safe
transportation and medical care in an
organized and sustained manner,” the
hard-working Clare added.
He said that, after JJB was founded
in 1994, it “steadily expanded its service
and organization, attaining the IRS status
of a 501 (c) (3) soon after.”
Clare said sponsor, Vincent HoSang,
with his Royal Caribbean/Caribbean
Food Delights Brand, and later the Vincent
HoSang Family Foundation, “came
onboard immediately and has been with
us ever since as partner playing a key
role in the feeding of our athletes.
“We are proud to share this 25th Year
of unbroken service with you,” Clare
said. “It seems like just yesterday we
started with some doubt but with the
enthusiasm of newness and energy to
match our athletes.
“Now, with the wisdom of experience,
we pause to reflect on the many
turns and new milestones that brought
us here,” he added. “It’s been some journey,
one of remarkable achievements
and the building of unbreakable bonds,
friendships and partnerships.”
The chief executive officer said TJB
has seen its efforts grow “exponentially”
– from 200 athletes and one country
to at its peak of over 600 athletes and
about five Caribbean countries.
“We have watched our athletes develop,
mature over the years and excel
beyond their wildest dreams,” Clare
said.
He said TJB has brought “Jamaican
brands” to the Penn Relays, adding that
“as the event audience numbers grew,
to include more Jamaicans, so did the
brands involvement and participation
in the relays.”
Clare said TJB’s first Jamaican Sponsor,
Capital & Credit Merchant Bank,
with Ryland Campbell, “believed in our
mission and readily came on board,”
adding that other corporate partners
soon joined.
Among them were: Western Union,
Grace Kennedy Remittance Services,
Grace Foods, Tower Isle Patties, Jamaica
National, Jamaica Tourist Board, Air
JA/CAL, LIME, Lomax Family Foundation,
RIA Money Express, VMBS, NY
Daily News, Transcontinental Shipping,
Dennis Shipping and UJAA.
Clare said sponsors have further
“deepened and expanded” their relationship
with the Penn Relays, stating
that Grace Foods, for example, has
risen to the honored position of “Title
Sponsor.”
He also saluted TJB’s team of volunteers
for their “commitment and tireless
work” over the past 25 years.
“You’ve made us successful,” he said
about the volunteers. “The entire community
and athletes are indebted to
you.”
Clare said the affiliated TJB-Philadelphia
Organizing Committee was simultaneously
formed by co-founder, Blane
Stoddard, who now heads the affiliated
Friends of Team Jamaica Bickle, also
based in Philadelphia,
TJB’s mission is embodied in the
motto, “Our Athletes, Our Ambassadors,”
Clare said.
He said TJB’s services extend to a
delegation of about 650 students and
coaches from Jamaica, Trinidad and
Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
and Grenada.
Over the years, Clare said TJB has
welcomed and extended its services to
delegations of students and coaches
from the United States Virgin Islands
(USVI), the Bahamas, Barbados and,
most recently, Belize.
Clare said TJB provides, among other
things, for Caribbean athletes and their
entourage, meals and other refreshments;
physical therapy; chiropractic;
mentorship; medical services; ground
transportation; daily hotel to stadium
shuttle; airport transfers for arrival and
departure; subsidized hotel rate; and
subsidized air fare.
Irwine Clare, Team Jamaica Bickle
founder and CEO. Irwine Clare
Schedule
set for
Round of
16 Matches