Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer

Kenneth Edwards

THE Jamaica combined martial arts Team's success on the international stage has opened sponsorship doors for Trinidad and Tobago and all countries in which S.M. Jaleel's Busta soft drink brand is sold.

Following Jamaica's big 7-1 victory over hosts Trinidad and Tobago last Saturday, captain Jason McKay revealed that the title of 'Busta Fighters' is set to become a national brand for combined martial arts teams in countries where the product is distributed.

Jamaica's victory over Trinidad and Tobago settled the question of which team will be Busta's flagbearer for 2008 in S.M. Jaleel's new marketing thrust.

"What was really on the line was which team should be the Busta flagbearer," explained McKay, who paved the way for S.M. Jaleel's Jamaican arm, Jamaica Beverages to brand the Jamaicans 'Busta Fighters' two years ago.

"The new Busta sponsorship, based on the success of Jamaica's combined team, will see a marketing explosion for Busta as it is their plan to set up combined martial arts teams, all named Busta Fighters, in the 50 countries where their products are distributed, under the newly formed Busta Martial Arts Foundation," McKay added.

To keep sponsorship

"Therefore, Jamaica, the current flagbearers, will have to continue being the winning team to get the sponsorship benefits as flagbearers."

Jamaica should have no problem doing so as the much-hyped match, at the Chaguana Sports Complex in Port-of-Spain, was a walk in the park.

The match started with microweight Alrick Wanliss defeating his Trinidadian opponent. The Montego Bay-based athlete used speed, skill and experience against his rival to hand Jamaica two points in the opening bout.

The second match, which was considered an open affair, resulted in Nicholas Dussard, the United States Open World Junior Champion, making short work of his opponent, beating him into exhaustion.

Arthur Barrows was sent out for the third match but the veteran fighter, looking a shadow of his usually reliable self, came up short with, managing only a draw.

With Jamaica on five points, heading into the final match and requiring only a draw to deny Trinidad any chance of winning the bout, Kenneth Edwards was sent out as the closer and he delivered in style.

Lots of praise

Edwards, Jamaica's top fighter, gave his rival a lesson in continuous fighting, beating the Trinidadian by more than 20 points, handing Jamaica an unbeatable 7-1 lead, rendering the captains' match between Jason McKay and Ryan Rampair unnecessary.

McKay was full of praise for Ryan Rampair and Jermaine Lue, Jamaicans who are pushing the sport in Trinidad and Tobago.

"It is fantastic. The same way Brazil exports football coaches, we are now exporting martial arts talent to be administrators and coaches in other countries.

"Rampair has been a great ambassador for tae kwon do in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. I am glad he is currently leading Busta's involvement in the rest of the world. Lue is one of the most talented martial artistes I've ever met and will make a fantastic coach over there."

The next fixture for Jamaica is another warm-up against the United States in Connecticut on March 29 in preparation for their July defence of the World Continental title at the US Open, the world's largest martial arts tournament, held annually at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Jamaica will face Argentina from the Pan-Am region, Germany from Europe, New Zealand from Pacific/Asia and hosts United States.