TNM writes off Bullets K10.3 million CAF debt
Bullets FC can now breathe a sigh of relief as Super League sponsor, Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) has told the club not pay back the K10.3 million it was owing the country’s premier mobile service provider.
Bullets FC, widely known as the People’s Team, obtained a K15 million advance payment from TNM to finance its Confederation of African Football (Caf) assignments early this year.
They got the money on understanding that the would pay back the debt from an SMS promotion the club launched to raise funds for CAF tournament.
However, the team only raised K4, 693,800 leaving a deficit of K10, 306,200 and it became apparent the team would find it a tall order to repay the debt because of lack of sponsorship
Announcing the news on Tuesday, TNM Chief Commercial Officer Dan Makata said they just thought of relieving team of the debt.
“As a proud and patriotic Malawian service provider, we are proud to write-off the debt that Big Bullets owe us as a company. This demonstrates our commitment in supporting the development of football in the country and it is our hope that the debt relief will help Big Bullets FC focus on other critical operational issues for the team,” said Makata.
Makata said as a sponsor, TNM is still proud that Big Bullets presented the country well in the tournament.
“We were very moved by Big Bullets’s courage to participate in the competition albeit without stable sponsorship. As a company, we are happy that despite the bottlenecks the team faces due to lack of sponsorship they had the heart to compete at a bigger stage and they represented us well, reaching the second round of the tournament. That is no mean achievement,” he said.
Makata explained that whilst they had initially projected to raise K30 million from the promotion, leadership wrangles that eventually led to departure of the previous Big Bullets FC executive derailed the momentum.
In his remarks Big Bullets Executive Committee Chairperson Sam Chilunga thanked TNM for reliving the team saying this demonstrates that TNM is a real partner in football development.
“ This cancellation demonstrate the total commitment that TNM has to the development of football in the country as such on behalf of Big Bullets fans I would like to thank the management of the company for this consideration” said Chilunga.
Chilunga said with this development the Peoples team will now going to concentrate on building the te*am instead of thinking on how to pay back the money to TNM.
“This has also come at right time because it has healed our wounds considering that we are coming from a loss in Carlsberg finals” he said.
Apart from the cash advance, TNM also made a separate donation of two sets of uniforms for away and home games worth K1, 160,000.
During BB SMS promotion customers were requested to send the word BB to the code 2015 and each SMS costs K50, of which K40 went to the club.
Blantyre based Big Bullets fan Jefter Kaponya emerged the grand winner of the SMS promotion and carted home K1 million.
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Ife Ndife Amwai,enanu Mukakondwa Ndiye Mwachinya Bullets,ife Kukondwa Mkosatha Coz Ndalama Zimangochucha Ngati Mvula Mumlengalenga.
I’m impressed with the gesture by TNM. However, comments 29 and 40 are bad to the taste, not good for football. It was not written that BB will never land a sponsorship. Both of you are not prophets (if any then you are false prophets) to prophesize BB’s future. As a matter of fact let me assure you that as long as we have the living God, BB will surely land one sponsorship, a hefty one for that matter.
Inu ATNM inu simunapange bwino ngongole ndi ngongole palibe kuchotsela osamakhala ndi mtima okondela team coz apa zawonetsa kuti muli ndi side bwanji ngati ndikukhulukila ngongole/ngati ndalama zakuchulukilani mugawe kwa each team osati team imodzi mateam ambiri ali ndi mavuto akulu akulu kupambana komwe mwathandizako ganizani bwino ife timakonda masewero ampira koma Network yanu
TNM KNOWS THE TRUTH IN THE FIELD OF PLAY AND WAS OBSERVING THE MATCH SESSION AND SAW THE BIAS OF THE COACH AGAINST THE PEOPLES TEAM AND FELT PITY FOR US. HENCE THE CONSIDERATION. THANKS TO TNM. GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND SHOULD CONSIDER YOU.
TNM ayiwelengera patali kuti bullets cingakwanitse kubweza debts minyama yachuluka eee!
Bullets team ndi ya a NAMFUKO osati team ya fuko. Fokofo zanu mudzakhala olira komanso osauka mpaka muyaya. Matama musiye, mwano muleke. shupiti zanu nonse a mauleeeeeeee.
Koma ndiye saporter mapeto abebatu sindingayinve na zokha mwaangazi a TNM mwaitha ifenso tikupangani konzu!!!
Mukuwonatu! BB cows cerebrating, Kkkkkkkk bb team ya minyama!
MORE THANKS TNM….ZIMENEZO NDIYE ZA MPIRA….Ndiye muwone mmene titawaphulitsire matimu enawa mu second round mu….BIG UP Once again TNM
A TNM apangira dala kukhululuka ngongole chifukwa choopa mnyozo, iwowa ndi amene analepheletsa AIRTEL kuti iwathandize nthawi imene amamenya CAF ija, mix kuluza kwa Carlsberg cup angoti pasavute a Bullets asafe kwambiri, chifukwa malingaliro awo anali oti Bullets will win so that they will be able to repay them .koma eeeeeeeeeeee Dzanja la yehova likalemba lalemba basi.