Small business owner Jameel Joseph is setting an example in corporate social responsibility. Joseph has entered into a sponsorship agreement with Ayodele Taffe, and is hopeful the funding provided will help the 26-year-old sprinter realise his ambition of qualifying for next year's Olympic Games in Tokyo , Japan.

"My decision to sponsor Taffe," Joseph told the Express, "came when I saw the article you made on him recently where he requested help in order to reach his goal of reaching the Olympics. I will give him a one-year contract for a certain amount. I have the contract signed to start December 1, 2020. Taffe is talented and I believe he can reach very far."

Joseph, owner of the Flavakool fresh juice company, is well acquainted with track and field. During their teen years, Joseph and Taffe were teammates at the Abilene Wildcats Athletic Club. And in 2017, Joseph, competing for Silver Bullet Athletic Club, was crowned national men's decathlon champion.

"Due to my work as a serving member of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment," Joseph explained, "I won't be able to compete at a high level, so I wanted to give back to someone who has a great chance. Taffe is the one, very humble and hard working."

In a July 23 Express article, headlined "Comeback trail", Taffe spoke about the challenges of training under Covid-19 restrictions.

"They affected me negatively with regards to my progression in training and competition. Financially a lot of sacrifices were made and now I'm in a bit of debt, but I have faith in God that my situation will soon improve."

The sprinter's faith was rewarded in the form of a sponsorship deal with Flavakool.

"Taffe is very happy for the opportunity," said Joseph, "so I want it to work and be highlighted. Hopefully, other businesses that are bigger will see it and offer to the athletes in need. This could be a green light for more blessings to come the athletes' way during this rough time."