Ingwebu tourney in cash crisis

FINANCIAL challenges have forced Ingwebu Breweries to put on hold their sponsorship of the annual Primary Schools Soccer Tournament, their “baby’’ since 1994.

Ingwebu Breweries sales, marketing and corporate affairs manager Nkosana Prince Ndlovu said business has not been good this year hence the decision to discontinue funding the popular grassroots competition.

The tournament was funded by Ingwebu with the National Association of Primary Heads (Naph) coming in as administrators of the soccer showcase. This is not the first time that Ingwebu have not provided funds for the tournament as in 2009 and 2010 there was no sponsorship until 2011.

However, Ndlovu pointed out that there was still enough time to deliberate on 2017.

“This year we are not sponsoring schools soccer, the economic environment is not right. We are refocusing, that does not mean that we will not have the tournament in future. The decision was made in May and we told them (Naph) that we can’t sponsor them. There is still plenty time to consider the 2017 sponsorship,’’ said Ndlovu.

The tournament involves schools from Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North and Bulawayo Metropolitan who take turns to organise the regional finals. This year, the final competition was supposed to be staged in Bulawayo.

Last year, Tongwe of Beitbridge were crowned the boys’ winners while Turk Mine took the girls top honours at the finals held at Maphisa Growth Point in Kezi.

The cancellation of sponsorship comes a year after Ingwebu had introduced a full sponsorship package for girls last year having just put in some token of appreciation for females in 2014.