Mohloai Mpesi
Metropolitan Lesotho, a local insurance company, has made a whooping M500 000 injection into the Econet Premier League, to aid five of the teams to feature in the soccer competitions.
This was announced by Metropolitan Lesotho’s Managing Director, Mamello Phomane at a Press Conference held at the Bambatha TÅ¡ita Sports Arena earlier this week.
The five teams, Ljabatho FC, Swallows, Lifofane, Sefotha-Fotha and Liphakoe are each going to walk away with equal amounts of cash, while each team will also receive 100 home kit replicas. Basutoland Ink has also pledged to sponsor the teams with away kit.
It’s our honor to announce the partnership between Metropolitan Lesotho and the Lesotho Premier League since the teams do not have sponsorship, Phomane indicated.
We conditioned ourselves to sponsor the five teams to the tune of M500 000, where each team will receive M100 000 to buy whatever technical equipment that they need, she said, adding that football connects people.
Investing in sports is important to us, primarily because sports bring people together and build societies and communities. It is very important for companies like Metropolitan Lesotho to give back to the community through this kind of sponsorships. I have also learned that Basutoland Ink has come to partner and we appreciate their initiative, she said.
“Together We Can” is our motto, meaning together with the Premier League and Basutoland Ink we can build sports in the country, she added.
Phomane further expressed hope that the sponsorship would help the teams grow and compete on the same level as others in the league.
Basutoland Ink founder, Bokang Nkhekhe, indicated that they are also proud to be a part of the initiative to support local football, which in turn promotes their products, as their apparels are worn across the country.
We are really glad for this opportunity given by the Premier League and Metropolitan Lesotho. We saw it fit to contribute to football, and felt challenged upon realizing that Metropolitan is coming forward to help these teams, since they are without sponsorship, NKhehe indicated.
We accepted the challenge to sponsor them with away kit. It also comes as a big opportunity for us to grow from strength to strength, since our apparels are worn country wide, he pointed out, further expressing gratitude for the support they get from football.
Nkhehe also passed a vote of thanks to Metropolitan and the Premier League.
The Chairperson of the Premier League Management Committee (PLMC), Ikarabele Sello, said they have been aware of the performance imbalances between the fourteen Premier league teams.
Sello indicated that most teams lack the financial muscle hence the initiative to scout sponsorship, adding that they aim to fishhook more local businesses to support football.
We identified that in our 14 teams in the Premier League, there are those with financial deficits, which results in poor performances, he said.
We decided to partner with Metropolitan Lesotho and Basutoland Ink in a bid to enhance the teams performance. It is true that when we have a competitive league we can have a good pool of quality players in the national squad, he added.
Our aim is to also hook in our local businessmen and women to sponsor football in the country just like Metropolitan Lesotho and Basutoland Ink did. We appeal to all football supporters and to embrace the products of these two companies, Sello said.
