Dembare gets UK kit deal

GOOD times certainly continue to roll for Dynamos after the Harare giants yesterday announced a three-year kit sponsorship deal with an unknown England-based sports equipment and apparels manufacturing company called Looks.

The deal is worth US$300 000 and subject to renewal at the end of the term.

The agreement was enabled by On The Ball Sport (OTB) company, which is the licensed distributor of Looks sportswear in Africa.

OTB chief executive Peter Chiveso said the deal, announced in Harare yesterday was the first of the two deals that the company would be announcing this week.

"At the end of a period we are going to review the relationship. Our hope is that we will not be in that bracket of one-year wonders and then disappear. What we have as an advantage is that we control the production line. There is no middleman between ourselves and the manufacturing entity so hopefully we can manage to put things together," Chiveso said.

Reports suggest that Dynamos' archrivals Highlanders will get a similar deal this week before all the other local clubs benefit in due course.

"We hope that in a month or so we will also be announcing deals for more PSL clubs. They (Dynamos) were not the first club we spoke to. The negotiations went pretty smoothly and they are very professional," he added.

Besides playing kits, Dynamos is also set to receive training kits, tracksuits, warm-up kits, gym accessories, bags, fan regalia and travelling gear.

"This is part of something that we want to bring into Zimbabwean football. We want to help clubs towards their commercial side of businesses. It's an area that has not been well exploited in the past because there hasn't been any technical sponsors. We are trying to bring a new culture and help clubs drive their commercial side of business," Chiveso said.

Local clubs normally buy kits from commercial shops and it is problematic for them to do replicas to sell to their fans.

Chiveso assured Dynamos fans that the replicas were of good quality and they will get value for their money. OTB said fans should expect to see the replica jerseys in the market in two to three weeks.

"There is pride that comes with buying an original jersey. Even if it's expensive but its something that you work towards because you know it is quality. When it comes to things of passion, sometimes cost is not an issue. As long as the quality is good and the fit and feel of it is good and is packed right in terms of image it gives the supporters will love it.

"That is why we are not so interested in mass marketing and cheap stuff. We are more interested in quality and yes the issue of affordability comes into play, we will try to manage that, but the quality is the most important thing because we want to be an aspirational brand. We want people to aspire to wear the brand."

Dynamos, who are already enjoying the benefits of a major sponsorship with principal sponsors Gold Leaf Tobacco through their brand Remington Gold, said they were excited by the new development.

The club has not had an official kit sponsor since the collapse of its oneyear deal with NetOne at the end of the 2018 season.

"This an exciting development and it's the beginning of good times for Dynamos. This is a massive deal for us," said club chairman Isaiah Mupfurutsa.

"We have seen the kits, and our players had a feel of them. I can tell you that the kits are pure and of excellent quality. This is going to make us look different."

Traditionally, teams get two kits for home and away matches.

"For this one we are receiving four kits. We have two traditional colours for our home and away matches. Then we have other alternative colours which is something that is not very common in our local league," he added.

On top of the kits, the club will receive royalties for every garment that is sold whether it's a jersey, a replica or a cap.

"This deal is encompassing all that and we are very happy with that. We are confident that given the quality that is there and the way that we are now doing things we are sure that this deal is going to be a success. We are happy as the executive because we continue to tick the boxes of some of the major things that we promised to achieve when we took over office."

At a time other local clubs are struggling to stay afloat because of financial problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic, there is a refreshing level of sanity at Dynamos.

This has been attributed to their sponsor Remington Gold who have been faithfully footing all the club's expenses including players' salaries.