The Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) and long-time youth cricket sponsor Kingston Wharves have teamed up to award two deserving Under-19 cricketers full scholarships for their tertiary education at the University of the West Indies (UWI). The scholarships were recently presented at the JCA office at Sabina Park in Kingston.

The JCA highlighted the spectacular success of the Under-19 team, led by captain Brian Barnes and Steven Wedderburn. The team captured both regional championship trophies available in 2023. The idea for the scholarships arose from a desire to properly reward these talented cricketers while supporting their educational goals, ensuring they could continue playing the game at a high level.

JCA President Dr. Donovan Bennett welcomed the partnership with Kingston Wharves in awarding the scholarships. "We are very grateful at the JCA that Kingston Wharves has made this offer. It allows cricketers who have also excelled academically to be recognized and supported, helping them to enhance their life skills," he said.

Dr. Bennett also spoke about the process of determining the scholarship winners. "We had a joint committee with participation from both Kingston Wharves and the JCA. We invited applications, and after a thorough assessment process, the committee made the final recommendations."

The two awardees, Barnes and Wedderburn, along with their family members and coaches, were thrilled to receive the scholarships.

"I feel elated and honoured," said Barnes. "I'm just happy that both of us are being recognized with this scholarship."

Wedderburn echoed similar sentiments, stating, "I feel pretty elated because this is an honor. It's a result of hard work and dedication, and I feel great about receiving this award."

Kingston Wharves, the financial backer of the scholarships, was represented by Business Development Manager Alfred McDonald, who spoke about the company's commitment to supporting student-athletes. "We are focused on ensuring that those playing the sport are also excelling academically. We've seen their journey, and we want to support it. By providing funds—around $300,000 to $500,000 per annum for each of them—we believe this assistance will propel them to do their best both on the field and in school," McDonald said.

Simone Murdock, Corporate Services and Client Experience Manager at Kingston Wharves, who sat on the scholarship selection committee, expressed the company’s satisfaction with the selection process and the quality of the two recipients. "Our commitment is to see these young men through to the completion of their degrees. At that time, the company will reassess, as there might be greater needs in three years. For now, our focus is on helping them complete their degree program, and we will evaluate what further support is needed for cricket development afterward," Murdock said.

Barnes and Wedderburn will be pursuing marketing degrees at UWI, a program expected to last four years.