- FNBB says sponsorship flows from its Grassroots to Greatness philosophy
- Sports minister calls on other multinationals to follow FNB example
- P28.5m earmarked for BPL for 3 years, P13.5m for The Mares for 3 years
GAZETTE REPORTER
The recent announcement of a P54 million sponsorship of Botswana Football by First National Bank of Botswana (FNBB) has garnered wide acclaim.
A breakdown of the sponsorship reveals a substantial investment going to bolstering various facets of the beautiful game over the next three years.
P28.5 million of the amount is earmarked for the Botswana Premier League from 2024 to 2026, equating to an annual allocation of P9.5 million.
Prize money
This injection of funds is poised to invigorate the league’s competitiveness and sustainability, with provisions set aside for initiatives such as prize money, awards ceremonies, and administration expenses.
A portion totalling P13.5 million is to be allocated to the senior women’s national football team, The Mares, over three years.
This divides into an annual allocation of P4.5 million that will cater for critical needs that include team logistics, training camps and medical support, thereby fortifying the team’s performance both at home and abroad.
Effective packaging
FNBB has also committed approximately P12 million over three years to optimising the partnership’s benefits for the Botswana Football Association and football enthusiasts at large.
Sports analyst Mqondisi Dube has welcomed the potential impact of the sponsorship. “It’s a positive development, particularly that football was in a bit of a fix. It really needed this,” he said.
Even so, while he emphasised the significance of such sponsorship in ensuring that players receive adequate compensation, Dube underscored the importance of effective packaging to attract spectators to matches because financial support alone may not suffice.
Youth unemployment
At the sponsorship launch, sports minister Tumiso Rakgare lauded FNBB’s contribution as a commendable step towards advancing football in Botswana.
“Football will not make the progress that we need unless the corporate sector joins hands with government to sponsor development programmes, in addition to sponsoring leagues and/or individual clubs,” he said.
“With Botswana grappling with high youth unemployment, the sponsorship will end up reaching the football clubs in the league, who in turn will employ young people as players and administrators.”
Quality of play
The minister noted that funding a league generally improves the quality of play, which in turn prompts increased interest from patrons, a development that creates opportunities for young people in the SMME sector.
“Our ministry encourages the private sector to invest in sports, especially multinational companies that derive significant profits from their operations in Botswana,” he said.
“For many years, we have decried the fact that while multinational companies like FNB generate a lot of profit from Botswana, they were not supporting sports to the extent that they do in countries like South Africa.
FNB Botswana on a roll
“FNB Botswana has surely heard our cry. In the last few years, they have been on a roll in terms of sponsoring sports.”
Also speaking at the launch, the CEO of FNBB, Steven Bogatsu, articulated the bank’s commitment to sports development and its transformative societal impact.
“This sponsorship highlights the bank’s long term agenda of uplifting sports and driving positive change within our community,” he said.
He asserted that FNB sponsorships are underpinned by a shared value proposition that is