First Capital Bank (FCB) has increased Katswiri Under-20 Football League sponsorship from K40 million to K45 million.
The Bank’s Head of Marketting and Communication Twikale Chirwa said the tournament has contributed to the development of football in the country.
He cited some players who have made a breakthrough at domestic and international clubs such as Peter Banda who plays for Simba SC in Tanzania and Gerald Phiri Jnr in South Sudan , were scouted from Katswiri Under-20 competition.
Chirwa told ProjectM that the bank would continue exploring sponsorship opportunities for the grassroots football to reach out to more talent in rural areas as one way of empowering young athletes and create opportunities for success.
He said: “We are enthrilled to share the incredible news that we have made an extra motivation for young talents for Katswiri Under-20 Football League to go on and achieve greater things and we believe that this will create positive impact on the local community.
“We express our gratitude to the teams that have registered with the league and we urge them to work hard and display talent so that they can be considered for top-flight Super League and national team as they soar to new heights of their football journey.”
Chirwa further said they have plans to extend the sponsorship from 20 to 24 districts in a bid to unearth raw talent that can contribute to the development of soccer in the country.
Speaking to ProjectM, National Football Youth Association General Secretary James Sawerengera said he was grateful for the bank’s commitment to football development.
He, therefore, appealed to other companies to borrow a leaf from First Capital Bank.
Sawerengera also cautioned teams to be disciplined as sponsors do not like to be associated with violence during matches.
Katswiri Under- 20 Football League has a total of about 100 teams and 5000 players are expected to take part in this competition.
This year’s tournament was launched on July 17, 2023 in Mangochi District.
