P30 million windfall for BPL
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday December 14, 2018 12:42
The partnership is from trio of companies, which are Hollard Insurance, First National Bank of Botswana (FNBB) and the Choppies Group of Companies.
It was announced at the launch held in Gaborone that, Hollard Insurance will cover all the sport related injuries to all the 480 players registered in the 30 league teams with a cover that amounts to P30 million for a footballing year with an option of extension. “Football has proven to be high risk activity where an injury can slow or end one’s career.
Therefore, as Hollard we have offered a solution to this problem. Hollard will offer all medical over for the players. Appropriate medical treatment will be covered in an event of sport related injuries occurred during the game or training,” Hollard Insurance’s head of distribution Reason Nyamambi said at the launch.
FNBB will pop out P100,000 and electronic substitution boards to be used by the match officials. The sponsorship will run until the end of the season while Choppies Group has sponsored with a tune of P625,000 of which P25, 000 will be used to dress the ball boys at the games while P600,000 will help in the administrative part of running the league for a year. “The most vulnerable player in the football game is the ball boy.
They are subject to all sorts of abuse hence we found it fit to take care of them. They play an important role as they assist in the smooth running of a football game,” Choppies’ representative Jacob Sesinyi said. “Choppies then decided that they need to be treated with respect hence why we have sponsored the kit of eight ball boys deployed in each Premier League game.”
For his part, the BPL board chairperson, Jagdish Shah said the partnerships are a step in the right direction to make the local elite football league more financial stable thus helping carry the financial burden off the cash strapped teams.
“When I took over (as BPL chairperson), I said instability is the main problem in our football because we had in the past failed to attract more sponsors. Today marks the beginning of our journey. Welfare of our players is important not only to BPL but to football in general.
“Teams do not have the financial muscle to cover the costs. That is why in the past many players have suffered because of lack of finances. The ball boys have also been given their dignity back, the kits they will not have to return the kits they will use. Our match officials have in the past struggled with equipment and we thank FNBB for their gesture,” he said.