BB in financial turmoil
Nyasa Big Bullets have confirmed their sponsors Nyasa Manufacturing Company’s (NMC) claims that they are in financial turmoil.
The club’s chairperson Noel Lipipa was yesterday reacting to NMC board chairperson Konrad Buckle’s statement made on Wednesday during striker Chiukepo Msowoya’s unveiling.
Buckle was justifying the sponsor’s move to sign the player and then loan him to the People’s Team for two years.
Said Lipipa: “What the sponsors said was very true, the situation is currently critical because the money that we have does not meet our needs.
“Of course, the sponsors are meeting their obligations in paying the players and technical staff their salaries, but when it comes to other operational costs, we are struggling.
“The situation has forced some of the executive committee members to dig deep in their pockets to top up on the shortfalls.”
The Bullets boss also disclosed that they have almost exhausted sponsorship for the current season “and yet we have only fulfilled three [TNM] Super League games”.
“The current situation whereby we are playing our home games outside Blantyre due to the closure of the Kamuzu Stadium, has also worsened the situation.”
He reiterated that the team lost the plot when it got excited with the K500 million five-year partnership deal with NMC by excessively increasing players and technical staff without analysing the long-term effects.
Lipipa said as an executive they are still consulting on the prospects of calling for an EGM where a decision on the way forward will be made.
He said there is need for the team’s stakeholders to seriously consider the proposal to turn the club into a commercial entity.
“Personally, that is my view otherwise I can foresee even tougher times ahead,” he said.
The club’s main supporters committee chairperson Stone Mwamadi concurred with Lipipa on the need to step up the commercialisation drive, saying: “From what is happening, that is the only way out.”
On Thursday, Buckle said: “The team is in serious financial turmoil and there is need for the executive board to come up with ways to address the problems. I hope they will steamline because they need to start focusing on how to manage the club better.” n
