The country’s soccer governing body, Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has hailed home-grown forward-thinking commercial bankers, FDH Bank for reviving Secondary School Football with a K360 million sponsorship to Malawi Schools Sports Association ( MASSA) for Schools football competition.
FAM President Fleetwood Haiya made the remarks this morning during the unveiling of the sponsorship in Blantyre.
Haiya said Schools Football is the pinnacle of Malawi grassroots football structure as it gives every student an opportunity to play and showcase their talent.
He said there has been a huge gap in the country’s football development structures over a decade after Massa lost the Coco-cola and Airte Rising Stars Sponsorships.
“We have always emphasized the need to bridge the gap between grassroots and elite football. This partnership will ensure young talent is nurtured and given a pathway to professional levels.
“As FAM we are very excited about this sponsorship. There was a cut-off in grassroots football for many years, and we know we cannot transform the game without strengthening grassroots development.”
Haiya added that this partnership delivers on FAM’s promise to form alliances that will help identify and nurture young football talent:
“One of our key commitments as FAM was to establish strategic partnerships. MASSA was a big part of this vision, and now, together, we have found a sponsor who will help us discover and develop talent in schools.”
MASSA President Blackson Malamula welcomed the new deal, noting its significance in reviving school football:
“We are happy because Coca-Cola pulled out in 2016, leaving a huge gap. Now we have FDH coming on board, and we are truly grateful to their management for this support. With this sponsorship, we will be able to revamp school sports from the grassroots level.”
FDH Bank Plc Senior Marketing and Communications Manager Ronald Chimchere explained the bank’s motivation for the sponsorship:
“At FDH, we are already active in the sports space, sponsoring both football and netball. We noticed a gap between the Mayor’s Trophy at primary school level and national tournaments.
“Many talented players became idle when they reached secondary school. We felt it was important to fill that gap, giving them a platform to grow and eventually participate in the FDH Cup and national teams.”
The sponsorship is expected to reignite competitive secondary school football, providing a crucial platform for identifying and nurturing the next generation of Malawian football stars.
“We felt it was important to fill that gap, giving them a platform to grow and eventually participate in the FDH Cup.”
Ronald Chimchere
FDH Bank Senior Marketing and Communications Manager
