Kims Auto Asks For More Money For Soccer

CHIPPA LEGODIMO
Correspondent | Monday October 26, 2009 00:00

 

Charity Chidoda says local football can go places if there is good money. She decries the fact that only a few companies are interested in investing money in soccer.

'Players should be celebrities. In my short time with Gunners, I have realised that most people respect their players, they hold them in high esteem but those players are not financially stable. I cannot blame the management because there is nothing they can do if there is no money in the club but companies should come forward and turn these players into celebrities,' she says.

Apart from the P120,000 sponsorship to Gunners, Kims Auto has agreed to pay P1,200 monthly to two players at the club Finki 'Mathousand' Mothibi and Othusitse 'Speto' Mahube for a year. The company has been footing the transport bill for Gunners' fans to travel to games outside Gaborone. It has also supplied the team with T-shirts to raise funds.

Chidoda says it was appalling that while local fans are so passionate about soccer, little was done to motivate the players. 'If many people are interested in something, then you know it is the right thing to put money there because it would benefit many people.' 

Chidoda says they have been impressed with the way things have turned out with their sponsorship of Gunners because the club is working hard to represent them well.

Hopefully this brings business to Kims Auto which in turn would make it easier for the company to increase the sponsorship money.

It has been three months since Gunners secured a P120,000 sponsorship from vehicle repair company Kims Auto but the two parties are already talking of a possible increment and extension of the one-year contract.

The sponsorship was good news to the club which has struggled for years to attract financial backers despite its huge following.

Zimbabwean nationals Charity and husband Lucky Chidoda had just bought the company in January this year when Gunners approached them for assistance. Many would have expected them to consider spending their money at clubs doing well in the league, but the couple saw potential at Gunners.

'We saw potential at Gunners. They have many young players and we believe they are grooming them for the future. We are new in business and we are aiming to grow big in a few years' time. We believe that we could grow with this young team. I have to be honest. At first we were not into soccer but Kitso Dlamini (Gunners' communications manager) made us realise the opportunities that would be there for both the team and the company if we went into a partnership,' Chidoda says.

She let slip that they have received a number of customers who identified themselves as Gunners' fans since the sponsorship was launched two months ago. She is confident the number will grow as time goes on.

'We are a Christian family and we believe so much in giving back to the community and I have to say Gunners have given us a chance to do just that. I have to admit as a business, we expect some returns but it would be unfair to put the responsibility of marketing the company and its services squarely on the shoulders of Gunners.

They have done well for us so far and I have to say the relationship would go beyond just a year. It is certainly a long-term thing. Although I cannot predict the future, I believe that we would be increasing the amount after a year,' she says.

In the past there have been reports of Gunners' players getting their monthly allowances late which has often resulted in poor results. Dlamini has asserted that the injection of cash by Kims Auto means this will be a thing of the past.

'Basically Kims Auto has helped us carry the financial burden and already, the signs are that the team is back on track.

We want to ensure that the players are happy because it is only then that they would give their best on the pitch and give the company the mileage it deserves. In fact we want to exceed their expectations, and we can achieve that if we all stay focused,' Dlamini said.