Caltex has shouldered rugby through tough times, says Kishu

Chevron Lubricants Lanka CEO and Managing Director Kishu Gomes in a statement yesterday said that Caltex has shouldered rugby through tough times. Here is the full text of the statement:

We wish to announce our decision to walk away from the sponsorship of the two domestic rugby tournaments in Sri Lanka; the ‘A’ Division inter-club Rugby League and the Knock-out, having been with the game for 13 long years creating history as the longest sports sponsorship in Sri Lanka between a business organisation and a sports body. We are happy that our Rs. 450 million investment over this period has benefitted the game immensely.

Caltex has been the official partner of the ‘A’ Division inter-club Rugby League and Knockout tournaments since the year 2000. As you are well aware, we came forward to help the game at a time when SLRFU was desperate to find a sponsor and in dire state for funds to keep the game alive.

As the committed official sponsor, Caltex supported the efforts of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) and its successive committees over the past 13 years to revive, enhance and grow the game, making it one of the longest sports partnerships in the history of Sri Lanka. This bears ample testimony to the fact that for us at Caltex it’s more a passion than a sponsorship.

Our association with rugby has helped build equity for the game and create and sustain the momentum of the sport in the country to achieve the desired goal. Despite the many obstacles and challenges we faced, testing our commitment time and time again, we believe that our collective accountability towards the game together with all stakeholders, extreme loyalty and resilience as a partner during good and bad times under testing economic conditions in the country over this horizon, contributed significantly to reach the momentum it has created in the sporting arena of this country.

We take this opportunity to thank the SLRFU’s new committee, past Presidents and Committee members, clubs, players, the media and all other stakeholders of the game for supporting us throughout our journey. We wish best of luck to the new committee with their endeavours to develop the game and hope the game of rugby will grow from strength to strength.