The ManicaPost
| THE Chibuku Super Cup 2016 edition gets underway at various stadia around the country tomorrow as the nation braces for a potentially exciting football tournament. |
It goes without saying that football in Zimbabwe, as much as it is the most followed sport, lacks sponsorship. Top flight clubs are struggling to make ends meet, while lower divisions football has been reduced to a mere circus as sheer lack of corporate partnership has rendered them social soccer leagues.
This is surely a regrettable scenario that has been spawned by harsh economic conditions prevailing in the country. Be that as it may, Delta through their opaque beer brand Chibuku Super have come to the rescue of the country most loved sport. The company availed a staggering $500 000 sponsorship for the tournament, which is now running into its third edition.
With winners set to pocket $75 000, one cannot ask for more given the prevailing circumstances in our economy. What is even encouraging about the Delta sponsorship package is that this is not only the avenue that the same company has used to help develop or at least sustain the standards of football in the country.
One needs not go far than the domestic top flight league itself – the Castle Lager Premiership League. Through their Castle Lager brand, Delta have managed to keep top flight football afloat. This is exactly one thing that is lacking in our football.
The seemingly unending chorus that ‘the economy is not performing’ has left most corporates, among those operational and making profits, failing to chip in with sponsorship for our sport. Granted, the economy is not in the state we all want it to be but surely there is room for improvement in terms of corporate partnership in sport.
Soccer has become a multi-billion dollar industry the world over and Zimbabwe also deserves to be part of the global family reaping the proceeds from the world’s most loved sport. It is against this background that we hail Delta for finding it prudent to fight in the corner of football development even when times are difficult.
Sadly, banks in Zimbabwe have not found reason to support football at a time that banks are in the forefront of sponsoring football in other countries. The ABSA Premiership south of the Limpopo is one case in point.
Those with an infatuation of overseas football know that the most followed football league – the English Premiership – is being sponsored by Barclays Bank. And the situation only becomes different when it comes to Zimbabwe. One wonders why. At least, BancABC has done its part locally but more needs to be done by other players in the same sector.
The same goes for mobile communication companies who are doing business in Zimbabwe. There are mobile communication companies actively supporting football as well as getting mileage from football in other countries. Why not Zimbabwe?
As we mourn the lack of corporate partnership in domestic football, we will not lose sight of the good that companies such as Delta have done. This is why we now find reason to remind participating teams to protect the image of the sponsor in every way they can. This is not the time to frustrate the sponsor. No. Not in any manner. If anything, let the sponsor derive as much mileage as possible through their generous and commendable gesture.
With Harare City being defending champions and FC Platinum inaugural edition winner two years ago, we can only say let the best team of this third edition win.
