BSA shuts door on Shell's competitors

THATO KALA
Correspondent | Tuesday September 6, 2011 00:00

 

BSA recently received a P300, 000 sponsorship from Shell and have vowed they would avoid anything that may jeopardise the deal. Speaking on the sidelines of Saturday's official start of the new league season, the association's president, Marumo Morule, said they had addressed clubs about the issue of sponsorships and some were unhappy with their decision to bar some potential sponsors. 'We won't accept a club wearing a uniform branded in a competitor's logo unless they have been wearing the same uniform, which comes from an organisation directly involved in the running of the team. It's a decision we've taken and clubs are well aware of it.

Some clubs had a problem with it but that's a decision we've taken,' Morule told Mmegi Sport. He feels some clubs are trying to use the current sponsorship deal to entice the sponsor's direct competitors.'We don't want a situation whereby a club will use the current sponsorship as a bait to woo a competitor to sponsor them. Why target a competitor?  I would then detect something sinister,' Morule said.

Lucy Hans, Shell's representative, said there was an agreement between her company and the association that all attire would be branded in Shell colours. 'The agreement is that all the attire will be branded Shell so we don't expect such issues to be a problem,' she said referring to the Puma allegations. Morule urged clubs approached by potential sponsors to open up and discuss with the association. 'We don't want to jeopardise the relationship we have with Shell, people must appreciate that our relationship with Shell dates from a long time ago. We want to protect what we have and we would appreciate if clubs open up and talk about such issues so they can be addressed.'

Bears' manager Masego Kwape refused to comment on the issue and referred all questions to the club's chairman, Batsetswe Gontlafetse. However, Gontlafetse's phone rang unanswered several times. Meanwhile, Barloworld will announce the sponsorship for this year's Independence tournament in Gaborone tonight. Barloworld sponsored last year's edition to the tune of P100, 000. This year's event marks the 11th edition, as Barloworld first sponsored the tournament in 2001 for P8, 000.  The tournament traditionally features men and Morule reiterated that softball was a game for both men and women and without the women's competition, it would be incomplete.