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British American Tobacco (BAT) Malawi Ltd, sponsors of the K7.5 million Embassy Trophy competition, have declined to disclose the total amount of money spent by the tobacco firm on the promotion of the just ended competition, which was characterised by lots of fun and unprecedented hype.
The company’s Brands, Logistics, Research and Marketing Manager Collins Mussa refused to disclose the total amount spent on the competition.
“It is only the K7.5 million prize money that people will account for at the end of the day. We can say that we have spent K30 million but it will be difficult for the public to take our claims seriously. We better talk of what people saw and that’s the K7.5 million cash prizes that went to the teams and players,” said Mussa.
Among other things the sponsors, together with Top Advertising, the firm hired to promote the competition, flew in Zimbabwe-based music maestro Oliver Mtukudzi, who performed at the trophy’s launch in Lilongwe.
They also hired top local music bands like Lucius Banda’s Zembani, Allan Makondetsa’s Pro-Sounds, Alleluya, San B, Ben Michael and the Zigzaggers as well as Charles Nsaku and his Alikutauni Sounds to perform during pre-match shows, starting from the competition’s quarterfinals up to the final. All proceeds from the shows went to Fam.
The company also sponsored media personnel to venues of games and band shows, topping it up with a get-together for sports journalists, Fam officials and other stakeholders held last Friday at Blantyre Sports Club.
On the day of the final the sponsors hired sports cars to transport players from the two finalists, accompanied by dancing queens from their premises at BAT to Chichiri Stadium. And for the first time in the history of football the draw for the Embassy semifinals took place in the lake district of Mangochi.
Fam’s Public Relations Officer Isabel Maziya said the association was also in the dark as to how much the sponsors pumped into the competition.
“We were also not told the amount spent but what I can say is that some of these activities assisted us in raising funds.”
Said Maziya: “The sponsors were not getting even a single tambala from money raised from the shows. The proceeds were going to Fam and we are very thankful for this kind gesture. We only hope this will continue,” said Maziya.
According to the officer, a total of K622,803.47 was raised from the local shows and after deducting payments for policemen and show venues the association netted K415,202.
Total Big Bullets retained the Embassy Trophy after beating MDC United 2-0.
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