GOLD RUSH: Robert Clarke (right), group chief financial officer, Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), and Winston Ormsby (left), general manager, Petcom, PCJ's subsidiary, present a $3 million sponsorship package to Netball Jamaica for their Gold Rush Down Under campaign. - Contributed

The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) Group has boosted Netball Jamaica's (NJ) "Gold Rush Down Under" campaign with a $3 million sponsorship package to help underwrite the cost of the national team's preparation for the 2015 Netball World Cup.

The allocation includes a $1.5 million cash contribution from the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ); and a gas subsidy valued at $1.5 million from the PCJ's subsidiary, Petcom.

The petrol will be used to fuel the team bus which transports players to and from training and competitive events. The cash will go towards the extensive expenses facing Netball Jamaica as the Sunshine Girls prepare for the World Cup, which is scheduled for August 7-16 in Sydney, Australia.

The donation was handed over during a brief ceremony held yesterday at the Leila Robinson Courts at the National Stadium in Kingston. While making the presentation, the PCJ's group chief financial officer, Robert Clarke, cited the Sunshine Girls' impressive track record and said the team had earned this support.

"The PCJ and its subsidiaries have always supported sports, especially at the national level and we believe that our netball team is particularly deserving because they have consistently performed at the highest level."

Marva Bernard, president of NJ, expressed appreciation to the PCJ Group for their sponsorship.

"Our players have been working tirelessly to be in the best form possible for this World Cup and we owe it to them to ensure that they have everything they need to compete at the highest level," she said.

"Netball Jamaica faced an uphill task trying to raise over $60 million to send our national team to the World Cup this year and we are truly grateful to the PCJ and Petcom for responding to our appeal by contributing both cash and kind," she added.