YVONNE WEBB and MELISSA DOUGHTY

STEELPAN players in the south/central region of Pan Trinbago have been left fuming after state company National Gas Company (NGC) on September 11 withdrew its sponsorship from three steelbands – Couva Joylanders, La Brea Nightingale and Steel X Plosion of Tobago – and pulled support for Pan Trinbago.

In the termination letter to Couva Joylanders executive manager Richard Gill, dated September 3, NGC noted Article 7(b) of their January 1, 2023, agreement, which said: “The sponsor shall have the right to terminate this agreement for convenience.” That letter said while the company valued the business relationship between NGC and Joylanders, it was currently re-evaluating existing contracts and determined that this was no longer viable for the company to continue under the present agreement.