Northern Region Division One unveils new sponsor

THE Zifa Northern Region Division One League yesterday officially unveiled their new sponsor, Axis Solutions, who have pumped in US$20 000.

The event was held at a hotel in the capital.

The Sports and Recreation Commission recently gave lower leagues and women’s football the greenlight to resume activities after they were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Axis Solutions will sponsor the league’s annual eightteam cup tournament.

Speaking at the event, Zifa Northern Region chairman Martin Kweza said the package would aid the recovery of football which had been on hold due to the pandemic.

“The gesture by Axis Solutions is one great show of confidence in the Northern Region by the corporate world. The sponsorship will see the launch of a top eight-team tournament which will go a long way in motivating both our teams and individual players to become even more competitive,” said Kweza.

“The tournament will also help our teams, even our players, to recover some of the game time lost during the period where all sporting activities were at a standstill.

“As the Northern Region, we are, therefore, highly indebted and grateful to Axis Solutions for this very important gesture towards the development of football in our country.”

Kweza said top eight teams at the half-way stage of the league would earn the ticket to play in the tournament.

“We wish to assure our sponsors that all the resources invested in this sponsorship package will be put to good use. We will work tirelessly and see to it that our teams deliver the best game and best value befitting the support of this magnitude,” he said.

“With companies also still battling to recover from the effects of COVID-19-induced business disruptions which characterised the better part of the year, it is quite difficult to find businesses investing in areas outside their core business. But today, Axis Solutions is standing tall and leading the way in assisting in the recovery of Zimbabwean football at large.

“Today, therefore, the sponsorship is a challenge and motivation for all our teams in the league to fight hard to be part of the super eight tournament.”

Axis Solutions chief executive Brian Mukudzavhu said his organisation wanted to help in the development of the game.

“As Axis Solutions, we are more than elated to be playing a part and to be making our contribution towards the development and improvement of football in our country. We strongly believe that this kind of sponsorship is one way one can contribute to the development of sport and is also one way to give back to the very communities we operate from,” he said.

“Investing at this level of football will help add impetus to ongoing efforts by Mr Kweza’s leadership to create a robust, highly competitive and competent football fraternity.”

“We also wish that as we partner with our sporting bodies, we should also see the sponsorship packages broadening to include partnerships to develop sporting infrastructure and sporting facilities.

“We would also be pleased to get to a stage where we also contribute our expertise in the provision of ICT solutions in the running and management of our sport.”

Of the total sponsorship package, US$15 000 will be used for the tournament, floating trophy for the winners, medals or shields for the winners and runner-up and branded kits for the finalists trophy/shield.

The player of the tournament will get US$500, while the top goalscorer is guaranteed US$300, the same as the goalkeeper of the tournament.