Rainbow Paints hikes SRNL from K4m to K6.7m
Rainbow Paints Limited assured of its commitment in bankrolling the Southern Region Netball League with a K6.7 million sponsorship package for the 2017 netball season.
The announcement was made on Thursday during the launching ceremony at the country’s netball cathedral Blantyre Youth Centre.
Speaking during the launch, Rainbow Paints Sales and Marketing Executive Officer Jangale Chiosa said they thought it wise to continue with the sponsorship influenced by the success of Malawi netball locally and internationally.
“We thought it wise to continue sponsoring the League because netball puts Malawi on the World map. For Malawi Queens to continue shinning in netball we need to develop the sport from the grass root level,” said Chiosa.
While expressing the company’s confidence in the league’s administrators, Chiosa reminded them to ensure professionalism.
The ceremony reached on the climax, when Chiosa announced that it has pleased the company to hike the League from K4 million last year to K6.7 million this year.
Southern Region Netball League official Chimwemwe Bakali hailed Rainbow Paints Company for the package and urged other companies to emulate the gesture.
Bakali said it was sad to note that the game of netball struggles to get sponsorship in Malawi despite being the only sport that puts the country on map.
“Despite a lot of companies going through financial problems, we are very thankful to Rainbow Paints for their kindly gesture. Let me salute them and Swam for considering netball,” said Bakali.
He said the sponsorship will also help the Queens’ performance since most players in the team play in the Southern Region league.
“Southern Region Netball League is the back bone of the Malawi Queens as it contributes scores of players. It has also produced top players like Mwai Kumwenda and it is this League that has produced national team netball coaches and doctors,” said a jovial Bakali.
He also assured Rainbow Paints Company that the administrators of the League will run the League professionally and in a very transparent manner.
Nam President Khungikile Matiya, who was also the guest of honour, urged the organizers to run the competition professionally so as to safeguard the sponsorship.
Matiya said the sponsorship is also vital to the development of netball in the country.
Speaking on behalf of Swam was Frank Kandu,who said they felt obliged to assist sports associations to get sponsorship to ensure that there are more sporting activities in the country.
Kandu , then urged the media to cover the games in the Rainbow Paints , as at the end they will award outstanding reporters.
For instance, he said in the media category, they will continue with the category of the best female sports reporter, as one way of encouraging female reporters to take a leading role in covering netball.
Other categories are best on-line reporter, best television reporter, best in print media, best radio reporter and best photo journalist.
The Southern Region Netball League Committee secured the funds with the help of Sports Writers Association of Malawi (SWAM).
In this year’s competition, the winners will go away with K1 million.
