27 Jan 2019

Sport clubs have of recent opted to don local sports brands, giving prominence to brands such as 90 Mins Plus, which has become visible especially in the premier league. 

In an interview with ASAS Sports Company, which owns 90 Mins Plus, brand director, Simon Maposa-Ramosoeu said the company was established in 2011 in China with the motive of designing sportswear and other apparels but only came to Botswana in 2015.

In 2016, he said they they dressed Mochudi Centre Chiefs and Extension Gunners last year.

“Late last year, Prisons XI got fascinated with the quality of the brand and we started supplying them with kits and their ladies team will also don our brand very soon,” Maposa-Ramosoeu said.

He indicated that they had entered into an agreement with Maun’s Sankoyo Bush Bucks, which would also join the list of teams donning their brand.

Other teams from lower divisions, he said had also enquired about their services.

“We design our sports gear according to weather conditions. For instance, Botswana is hot so the apparel should be light compared to that designed for Europe,” Maposa-Ramosoeu said. 

Maposa-Ramosoeu former  Gunners and Jwaneng Comets player, who also played for different clubs in countries such as New Zealand and Argentina, highlighted that the brand was growing and had partnership with football clubs in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Ghana and Ethiopia.

He said it was also popular in Namibia where they were involved in the Standard Bank Soccer tournament.

He said their clothing brand was designed in different countries such as Japan, Taiwan and China and were planning to establish a factory in Botswana.

Maposa said they wished to provide kits to youth development, schools, regional and ladies teams and would like to work with other brands susch as All Kasi and Dladla.

He said they also had a sports agency wing called Pro Performance Sports, which dealt with players’ welfare and movement.

He said five players had already been selected to go for trial in China. Ends