Sports / Soccer
Marange Resources unveils $3M deal for women's soccer
17 Feb 2012 at 22:51hrs | Views
Marange Resources (Pvt) Ltd yesterday unveiled an estimated $3 million sponsorship package for women's soccer at all levels in Zimbabwe.
The launch, which was witnessed by President Mugabe who is the chief patron of the Mighty Warriors, will see the diamond company fund the national league, the Under-20 national team and the Mighty Warriors.
The Under-20 team meets Mozambique in a World Cup qualifier at Rufaro tomorrow.
Marange Resources will take care of the teams' travelling and home match expenses.
This unique sponsorship, a first of its kind in Zimbabwean soccer, is in the same breath with the kind of sponsorship for South African national teams by such companies as Castle and Sasol for Bafana Bafana and Banyana respectively and Absa for their premier league.
The sponsorship for the national league includes kits, travel expenses, accommodation and referees' fees.
The sponsors are yet to announce the package for the league although it is believed to be close to $1 million.
President Mugabe said the sponsorship package should spur the Mighty Warriors to greater heights.
He said the women's soccer teams should emulate the exploits of such teams as the Zambian national team that defied all odds to win the African Nations Cup.
President Mugabe challenged senior men's team, the Warriors, to draw inspiration from Chipolopolo.
"The victory by Chipolopolo was our joy, it was our joy as Zimbabwe and the whole of Southern Africa. It is still our joy that the trophy is now in our region.
"We hope this victory by Chipolopolo will push our women's team to emulate the Zambian team."
President Mugabe urged the Mighty Warriors to win their matches or lose trying.
"The Zambians did it for their country, they did it for Southern Africa and we hope our Mighty Warriors will also do it for us," he said.
Marange Resources chief executive Obert Moyo said they decided to partner women's football as part of their social responsibility.
He said they were impressed by the transparency when they sponsored the Mighty Warriors African Championships home and away matches against Botswana.
"As part of our corporate social responsibility we have decided to sponsor the Mighty Warriors, the Under-20 team, women's national league, cricket which has returned to test cricket and a golf tournament as well as two other sporting disciplines which we are yet to identify.
"There was no need to sponsor starting from the top where there is nothing to feed, so we decided to sponsor the Under-20 national team and the national league so that they feed to the national team.
"We were impressed by their results in the last two years and we hope our assistance will help them," said Moyo.
Women's soccer league boss Mavis Gumbo said they will jealously guard the sponsorship and be the jewel in the crown for Zimbabwean football.
The launch, which was witnessed by President Mugabe who is the chief patron of the Mighty Warriors, will see the diamond company fund the national league, the Under-20 national team and the Mighty Warriors.
The Under-20 team meets Mozambique in a World Cup qualifier at Rufaro tomorrow.
Marange Resources will take care of the teams' travelling and home match expenses.
This unique sponsorship, a first of its kind in Zimbabwean soccer, is in the same breath with the kind of sponsorship for South African national teams by such companies as Castle and Sasol for Bafana Bafana and Banyana respectively and Absa for their premier league.
The sponsorship for the national league includes kits, travel expenses, accommodation and referees' fees.
The sponsors are yet to announce the package for the league although it is believed to be close to $1 million.
President Mugabe said the sponsorship package should spur the Mighty Warriors to greater heights.
He said the women's soccer teams should emulate the exploits of such teams as the Zambian national team that defied all odds to win the African Nations Cup.
President Mugabe challenged senior men's team, the Warriors, to draw inspiration from Chipolopolo.
"We hope this victory by Chipolopolo will push our women's team to emulate the Zambian team."
President Mugabe urged the Mighty Warriors to win their matches or lose trying.
"The Zambians did it for their country, they did it for Southern Africa and we hope our Mighty Warriors will also do it for us," he said.
Marange Resources chief executive Obert Moyo said they decided to partner women's football as part of their social responsibility.
He said they were impressed by the transparency when they sponsored the Mighty Warriors African Championships home and away matches against Botswana.
"As part of our corporate social responsibility we have decided to sponsor the Mighty Warriors, the Under-20 team, women's national league, cricket which has returned to test cricket and a golf tournament as well as two other sporting disciplines which we are yet to identify.
"There was no need to sponsor starting from the top where there is nothing to feed, so we decided to sponsor the Under-20 national team and the national league so that they feed to the national team.
"We were impressed by their results in the last two years and we hope our assistance will help them," said Moyo.
Women's soccer league boss Mavis Gumbo said they will jealously guard the sponsorship and be the jewel in the crown for Zimbabwean football.
Source - TC
