04 Dec 2018

Orange Botswana has injected P12.6 million into football through a partnership with Botswana Football Association.

The telecommunications giant will contribute P4.2 million per football season for three seasons.

Speaking at the launch of the Orange FA Cup, Orange Botswana chief executive officer, Patrick Benon said the initiative demonstrated the company’s strategy to cultivate talent and support local sports development.

He said the deal was in line with their previous sponsorships of the Orange Kabelano Charity Cup, the Orange Phikwe National Marathon and the Zebras national team ahead of their historic appearance at the AFCON finals in 2012.

“Through these sponsorships, we have realised the significance of sport activities beyond entertainment. It is also about uniting communities, strengthening of relationships and supporting economic activities,” he said.

He noted that the Orange FA Cup would see more than 30 football teams participating and that it would give amateur teams an opportunity to battle with the giants from the elite league.

He said the sponsorship would cover prize money, individual awards, team kits, tournament administration fees and travelling, to name a few. 

“This supports the robust and ambitious development plan of the BFA,” said Benon, further indicating that the sponsorship would commence in the upcoming 2019 season.

For his part, BFA president, Maclean Letshwiti said when he took over the presidency he wanted to put football in a position of attracting sponsors and to give the game accountability and good governance. 

“Currently, sponsorship is difficult for all sporting codes, football included, and I am excited that regions will finally get a platform to have an event which they can look forward to and can also bring income,” he said.

He noted that sponsorship was key to football as that was how it could grow and change the lives of footballers.

Letshwiti further said when they crafted the sponsorship, they wanted sponsorship that would assist regional teams and have a fair balanced share across all boards. 

He said a platform such as the Orange FA Cup, offered a great opportunity for all BFA’s leagues and structures.

“It is also an opportunity for talent to be scouted and seen by national team coaches across the board,” he said, adding that it also offered the BFA the chance to close the gap between leagues and increase competition for participation or qualification into the cup. 

He said large institutions such as Orange Botswana must set the right example because they showed the power football had in being a tool to reach communities and new markets. 

“To Orange, welcome back home to football, we missed you,” he concluded. ENDS