Kudos to sports sponsors

Local sports federations must cultivate a culture of sound management of their financial resources if they hope to instil and inspire confidence in sponsors and partners.

Sponsors have shunned supporting most sports federations in the country either due to lack of clear structures or outright corruption.

In the end, it’s our sportsmen and women who bear the brunt of the inept leadership in their federations. Sports in the country will never thrive if sponsors or partners continue to stay away.

But recent events have been encouraging despite the hard economic times. Betting companies Sportpesa and Betika and leading mobile telephone provider Safaricom have come out strongly to support various sports federations, pumping in millions of shillings into their activities.

Sportpesa extended their sponsorship for the Kenya Sevens for two years with Sh126 million sponsorship, a partnership that will see the players earn between Sh150,00 and Sh100,000 per month hence reducing the burden on Kenya Rugby Union (KRU).

KRU also got another major boost with Safaricom making a return to rugby after 15 years, forking out Sh104 million in sponsorship for both national Sevens team — Kenya Sevens and Kenya Lionesses.

Betika unveiled a Sh15 million sponsorship that will exclusively go towards prize money for Athletics Kenya’s (AK) Cross Country series and Track, Field and Relay Meetings for the 2024/25 season.

This is a gesture that AK and KRU shouldn’t take for granted especially coming at a time they have been longing for good sponsorship for some time.

We commend the corporates for coming on board to support sports but they must ensure our sportsmen and women benefit more from their sponsorship.