TNM renews sponsorship for Malawi Super League: ‘Always with you’

The mobile and data service provider TNM  says that they will continue sponsoring the elite league in the country, making a dramatic reversal of its decision to withdraw Super League sponsorship.

The 10-year sponsorship was rebooted  following Competition and Fair Trade Commission (CFTC) ruling that when renewing the contract, clauses that stop Super League of Malawi (SULOM0 and clubs from entering agreements with other mobile service providers should be scraped off.

TNM Chief Executive Officer, Douglas Stevenson and Minister of Sports Henry Mussa have confirmed the development through a joint statement released this Tuesday.

They say  TNM will now go ahead to renew the sponsorship until 2020.

In the statement, Mussa said government is expressing its “sincere gratitude and appreciation” to TNM for reconsidering its earlier position to withdraw sponsorship.

The statement said the sponsorship is back after “extensive negotiations ” between sports minister Mussa and TNM boss Douglous.

CFTC Board and ministry of industry and trade have made clear interpretation that the current contract be maintained until the year 2020, according to the statement.

According to the contract between the two parties, TNM entrusts Sulom with the responsibility to refrain from entering other agreements which would restrict or prevent them from providing the rights granted to TNM.

The contract, which gives TNM naming, promotion and advertising rights, restricts Sulom or clubs from getting sponsorship, promotional, advertising or similar rights to other persons, firm, company, corporation or other body involved or concerned in the products and services related or similar to TNM products.

Article 10.1 of the contract reads: “Sulom shall ensure that (save and except for TNM), no other person, firm, company, corporation or other body involved or concerned in the products and services related or similar to TNM products, will have or be given any sponsorship, promotional, advertising or similar rights for any purpose whatsoever associated or connected with the sponsorship.”