The former Camel Cup competition will now be known as the BELCO Cup, it was revealed yesterday.

At the Serpentine Road offices of BELCO, Bermuda Cricket Board made the announcement, noting that the new sponsors were welcomed as major contributors and supporters of cricket.

The knockout competition, which features the top four Premier Division teams from the previous season, will see the semi-finals played on June 14 and the final a day later.

On the Saturday (June 14), champions St. David's will meet Southampton Rangers at Somerset CC and Western Stars will take on St. George's at Lord's. The final is also at Lords the next day between the two winners.

Replacing Camel as sponsors of the event marks BELCO's biggest involvement in cricket, although they are by no means newcomers to the sport having supported the game to a lesser degree for many years.

Present during yesterday's press conference was BCB president Reggie Pearman, BELCO president Gary Madeiros and Sports Minister Randy Horton, who is a former Board executive.

"We are pleased to announce that BELCO has kindly consented to be our official sponsors for the new BELCO Cup which replaces the Camel Cup which has been in existence for some 18 years. We are appreciative of what Camel have contributed to cricket over the years, but we have moved into another direction now and we are happy to have BELCO on board," said Pearman.

Madeiros told reporters: "It is indeed a pleasure for our organisation to be aligned with the BCB. We have given support in a low key manner by supporting coverage of cricket, locally and internationally, Test match and county games and Cup Match, but we now are delighted that the Board brought this opportunity to us and we look forward to a partnership that will last for many years.

"This competition involves just one weekend, we have four top teams from the year before competing which means to us quality play. We also look at the occasion as being a great opportunity to sustain something that has been going on for quite a while. We look forward to our name being attached to it, we obviously will take a very active interest in the competition and also the organisation."

Minister Horton also welcomed the new sponsors aboard and declared how the partnership brought together two outstanding groups in the community.

"The two groups touch just about every home and family in our community and because of this it is refreshing to see this new support that BELCO has given to the sport," said Horton.

"I recognise the important role that sport and cricket, in particular, plays in the development of our young people and indeed even our adults in our community, and it's vital that competitions like the BELCO Cup continue to develop and I am sure that with the new sponsors on board it (BELCO Cup) will rise to even further heights."