Gaborone United received a significant boost this week as the club secured a P1.5 million, three-year deal with real estate developer Tredinnick Property. The Reds will receive P500,000 per season, with the Tredinnick logo appearing on the left sleeve of the replicas for the duration of the contract.
Speaking at the launch in Gaborone yesterday, GU director Nicholas Zakhem said he approached Tredinnick managing director and CEO Joe Lalonde to support the team.
"We approached him and said we need your support. You are investing back into the community, into the youth, and we want you to come and watch and be part of our dream, the GU dream. Here we are. He received us with open arms, and we won't disappoint him. As you can see, the new kit looks good, and with the Tredinnick logo, it looks very impressive," Zakhem said.
Botswana Football Association (BFA) president Maclean Letshwiti said the deal signifies a positive step towards the commercialisation of the local game. He emphasised that such initiatives align with the goals he campaigned for.
"As BFA, we have made significant strides towards achieving those goals, but there is still much to be done. Development among clubs has been uneven. Other clubs have been quick to grasp the fact that professionalisation and commercialisation are for their own good, and ultimately for their long-term survival," Letshwiti said.
Acting Botswana Football League (BFL) CEO Bennett Mamelodi reiterated Letshwiti's sentiments, emphasising the need for football to commercialise for clubs to stay afloat.
"To Tredinnick, you will get the mileage, you will get the exposure. Games are coming thick and fast. It is nice to see your logo on the sleeve," Mamelodi said.
