Sponsors call for integrity

06 Apr, 2014 - 04:04 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

Fatima Bulla
Delta Beverages will not hesitate to cancel the sponsorship of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer league if conditions to protect the integrity of the brewing giant’s image are breached. Delta Beverages marketing director Maxwell Karombo admitted that there were provisions in their contract with the local league which allow them to pull out if the company’s integrity is tarnished.

Delta Beverages recently unveiled two packages for the Chibuku Super Cup and the Championship worth a total $1,2 million for each of the 2014 to 2016 seasons.

But Karombo said they introduced annual reviews to deal with concerns on possible breach of contract and to find possible solutions.
“It is very critical because we want to maintain our integrity. Delta’s reputation is indivisible; we cannot take it in parts. It is a company that has been here for over a century and we want to hand over this company with its full integrity to the generations that are going to come. That is our responsibility as Delta executives and leadership. And we want to make sure that nothing tarnishes that.

“We have noted with concern the issue of hooliganism in football. It tarnishes the image of the game principally but also inherently the sponsor.
“My appeal not just to the football league management and bosses but to the fans themselves is to let the environment be where one feels free to bring their spouses and children to also enjoy this game,” said Karombo.

“We want our football fans to understand that they are part of a community and they should make the football environment conducive for even children to come and watch as families without having to fear anything going to the stadiums,” Karombo added.
A number of events on and off the field threatened to tarnish the beautiful game of football last year.

Clubs accumulated huge fines, most of them due to various offences committed by their fans.
The offences ranged from pitch invasions, throwing missiles onto the pitch during matches, using undesignated points of entry, using abusive language towards match officials and failing to account for gate-takings.

“We want to ensure the league is efficiently and professionally run. Matches are played on time, fixtures are fulfilled, what is the adherence level to either FIFA rules, coaches are providing Press briefings and advertising around the stadium. We will look at all that otherwise we might be pouring money down the drain if contractual agreements are not met,” Karombo added.

Delta Beverages increased the Soccer Star award prize money to $6 000 from $ 5 000.
Karombo added that having the Castle Lager PSL title being won on goal difference on the last day of the season by Dynamos indicated high levels of integrity in the game

“Also the showing of our players at the Chan finals going all the way to the semi-finals is testimony of Castle Lager’s investments in football.
“All those were locally based players who have benefited out of the three years that Delta has invested in football. So we want that investment to go forward and be very positive in contributing to the growth of football,” Karombo remarked.

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