The sponsorship was launched Friday night (April 12, 2013) at MultiChoice offices in Lilongwe, where it was announced that the company will sponsor a Netball Champions League worth K8 million and provide a K4 million sponsorship for the country’s national netball team, aka, the Queens.
According to MultiChoice Malawi’s sales and marketing manager Chimwemwe Nyirenda, the Netball Champions League will attract top five netball teams from the country- Escom Sisters, Bingu Tigresses, MTL Queens, Civonets and Blue Eagles Sisters, who will play in a round robin format on home and away basis. The team with the highest number of points will automatically win the championship.
The top team will walk away with K1 million and a locally made wooden trophy with first runners-up getting K500,000 and second runners-up pocketing K400,000. Teams on positions four and five will cart home K300,000 and K200,000 respectively.
Apart from the prize fund, Nyirenda disclosed that each of the five participating teams would be provided with K500,000 to meet tournament expenses such as food , transport and accommodation. He also said K500,000 would be provided to Nam for administrative costs with another K350,000 going towards expenses like umpires’ fees, purchase of balls and other materials.
Turning to the national team sponsorship, Nyirenda said the Queens would be provided with K3 million for buying of uniforms, shoes, bags and other materials and K1 million for preparation of two major
Youth and Sports Minister Enock Chihana, who was guest of honour at the launch hailed MultiChoice Malawi for the landmark sponsorship, which he said would further boost the development of netball in Malawi.
Nam general secretary Helene Mpinganjira said the sponsorship has come at an optune time, when Malawi will be hosting the continental netball championship.
