News / National
PSL court sponsors
15 Dec 2010 at 01:59hrs | Views
Local league's chiefs have confirmed that negotiations are now at a
"crucial stage" with some potential sponsors for next season.
The league has been running without a sponsor for the past two seasons since CBZ Holdings pulled out.
The bankers had replaced Econet Wireless who abruptly ended their marriage with the PSL after they pulled out of a mega-rich deal in 2005.
Only BancABC had remained as the major partner of the league as they are bankrolling the Sup8r Trophy knock-out competition.
NetOne, a local mobile cellular network operator, recently indicated that they are prepared to come on board to support local football for next season while some sources have confided that Econet are also interested in helping the game.
The sources privy to some details said Econet have dangled an offer of between US$1 million and US$1,5 million to be injected into the PSL coffers if the deal is sealed.
However, it is also understood that NetOne, while making a verbal commitment to bankroll the league, have not drafted a written offer.
Early this season, there had been an appeal by fans and the media to try and lure Econet to brand the league, seeing that the company has a large base of customers for its services.
Econet are the biggest cellphone network provider in Zimbabwe.
PSL acting chief executive, Kenny Ndebele, said yesterday that the league is still negotiating with "some potential sponsors" whom he was not at liberty to name.
"The PSL is currently negotiating with a number of sponsors, but we are not ready to disclose them.
"The negotiations are very critical and we do not want to jeopardise them as what has happened before.
"So we are engaging some companies, but I cannot say if the cellphone networks are or are not among them at this stage," said Ndebele.
The issue of the PSL sponsorship is set to take centre stage at the PSL meeting set for next month in Kwekwe.
The meeting will review the operations of the league for this season while it will also map the way forward for 2011.
The smooth flowing of the league programme and the photo-finish between Motor Action and Dynamos that might have brought more excitement to the championship race.
And these latest developments could have encouraged sponsors to come on board for next season.
In May this year, fans and the media appealed to Econet to make an investment into domestic football but the company's chief executive Douglas Mboweni made it clear that football was not on their agenda then.
Zifa president Cuthbert Dube has also been calling on the corporate world to help local football.
But Dube also said the domestic game needed to clean up its battered image to attract sponsors.
South African television channel Supersport is also interested in making a trial run of the local league matches that still lack sponsorship.
The league has been running without a sponsor for the past two seasons since CBZ Holdings pulled out.
The bankers had replaced Econet Wireless who abruptly ended their marriage with the PSL after they pulled out of a mega-rich deal in 2005.
Only BancABC had remained as the major partner of the league as they are bankrolling the Sup8r Trophy knock-out competition.
NetOne, a local mobile cellular network operator, recently indicated that they are prepared to come on board to support local football for next season while some sources have confided that Econet are also interested in helping the game.
The sources privy to some details said Econet have dangled an offer of between US$1 million and US$1,5 million to be injected into the PSL coffers if the deal is sealed.
However, it is also understood that NetOne, while making a verbal commitment to bankroll the league, have not drafted a written offer.
Early this season, there had been an appeal by fans and the media to try and lure Econet to brand the league, seeing that the company has a large base of customers for its services.
Econet are the biggest cellphone network provider in Zimbabwe.
PSL acting chief executive, Kenny Ndebele, said yesterday that the league is still negotiating with "some potential sponsors" whom he was not at liberty to name.
"The PSL is currently negotiating with a number of sponsors, but we are not ready to disclose them.
"The negotiations are very critical and we do not want to jeopardise them as what has happened before.
"So we are engaging some companies, but I cannot say if the cellphone networks are or are not among them at this stage," said Ndebele.
The issue of the PSL sponsorship is set to take centre stage at the PSL meeting set for next month in Kwekwe.
The meeting will review the operations of the league for this season while it will also map the way forward for 2011.
The smooth flowing of the league programme and the photo-finish between Motor Action and Dynamos that might have brought more excitement to the championship race.
And these latest developments could have encouraged sponsors to come on board for next season.
In May this year, fans and the media appealed to Econet to make an investment into domestic football but the company's chief executive Douglas Mboweni made it clear that football was not on their agenda then.
Zifa president Cuthbert Dube has also been calling on the corporate world to help local football.
But Dube also said the domestic game needed to clean up its battered image to attract sponsors.
South African television channel Supersport is also interested in making a trial run of the local league matches that still lack sponsorship.
Source - Byo24
