Airtel Malawi plc has returned to football sponsorship with a three-year Airtel Top 8 sponsorship worth K655 million.
The amount is triple the previous K234 million.
The integrated mobile network and information communications technology provider’s managing director Charles Kamoto announced the increase during an unveiling ceremony at Football Association of Malawi (Fam)’s Mpira Village in Blantyre Monday.
Kamoto said sponsorship for the 2024 edition will be K180 million, with increments to K220 million next year and K255 million in 2026.
Kamoto said the new deal underscores their unwavering dedication to celebrating talent, fostering competition and bringing more excitement to football fans across the country.
“I am excited to announce a monumental milestone in our journey with the Top 8 Cup. I am thrilled to share the exciting news that we are renewing sponsorship for this prestigious tournament for another three years, from 2024 until 2026.
“But that is not all. We are not just renewing our commitment, but we are significantly increasing our investment in the future of Malawian football. I am, therefore, delighted to announce that the sponsorship value has soared from K234 million to an astounding K655 million,” he said.
The news came after months of uncertainty over the continuation of the competition as the company recently expressed dismay with the violence that led to the abandonment of the quarter-final match between Silver Striker and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers last September at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.
Kamoto said they would be disappointed to see violence creeping back into the beautiful game.
Fam President Fleetwood Haiya expressed gratitude with the new deal and said 70 percent of the sponsorship package would go to the teams.
“This will be in terms of prizes and other necessities. For the next three years, team prizes will be K141 million. K19 million will go towards individual prizes while at least K495 million will be used for participation fees, equipment, match organisation and officiation.
“It is really a pleasant surprise to see Airtel tripling the sponsorship. We are very excited with this great news. The huge jump of the sponsorship from K90 million last season to K180 million this season is massive and good for the transformation of the game in the country. Airtel deserves a huge round of applause,” Haiya said.
The latest development means the winners’ purse in the seventh edition has also been upped to K30 million from K17.5 million while runners-up will get a doubled prize of K10 million.
Champions will get K35 million in the 2025 edition and K40 million in 2026 whereas the runners-up’s prize will be increased to K12 million and K14 million in subsequent seasons.
Teams will also receive K2.5 million for participating in the competition while player of the tournament and the top goal scorer will get K1.5 million and K1 million, respectively.
Last year, the individual awardees got K500,000 each.
K100,000 has been set aside for the man of the match this year with increases to K115,000 in 2025 and K140,000 in 2026.
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