Nico Group has increased the sponsorship of the Nico Top 12 Netball Cup from K60 million to K75 million, translating to a 25 percent hike.
Announcing the new package in an interview yesterday. Nico Holdings Limited corporate affairs manager Mbumba Mlia-Ndasauka said the sponsorship hike reflects the conglomerate’s continued commitment to the growth of netball and women’s sport in Malawi.
She said: “We recognise the economic challenges affecting the sporting space and we believe that meaningful partnerships must
respond to the realities of the times.
“This investment is also our way of celebrating the impressive performance and progress of our national netball team on the global stage. Behind every national team player is a development journey that begins at club level.
“Competitions such as the Nico Top 12 provide an important platform for players to compete, develop and demonstrate their potential for national selection.”
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Ndasauka-Mlia said the sponsorship goes beyond supporting a tournament.
“It is an investment in the future of Malawi’s netball, in the women who continue to make the country proud and in creating stronger pathways for the next generation of national players,” she said.
Ndasauka-Mlia said as Nico, they are proud to continue standing with netball and contributing towards a sport that has brought so much pride to Malawi.
Netball Association of Malawi general secretary Yamikani Kauma said they are excited with the sponsorship increase.
She said: “As NAM, we sincerely appreciate Nico for increasing the sponsorship. The K15 million increase comes at a time when the cost of running sporting activities has significantly increased.
“We are, therefore, grateful to Nico for recognising these challenges and continuing to support the growth and development of netball in Malawi.
“As NAM, we believe this is a significant investment in our teams and players. We thank Nico for its continued confidence in Malawi netball and for helping us make the Nico Top 12 a more rewarding and competitive tournament.
The increased sponsorship has also seen an improvement in the prize structure with the winner’s prize hiked to K6 million from K5 million. Runners-up will now get K4 million up from K3.5 million while third-placed team has gone up to K3 million from K2.5 million.
The consolation prize for teams finishing fifth to eighth has also gone up to K800 000 per team from from K600,000.
Nico Group unveiled a K1 billion three-year sponsorship for the tournament in 2024 and Blue Eagles were the inaugural winners.
Meanwhile, 13 Southern Region teams are this weekend expected to battle out for three national phase slots.
Kauma said each of the country’s four netball regions are expected to identify three teams for the national finals and the Southern Region has set the pace at Blantyre Sports Arena.
The teams that will tussle in the South are Kukoma Diamonds, Tigresses, Giants, Pacers, Chilomoni Sisters, Blantyre Tremors, Shizaella Queens, Future Pacers, Machinjiri Sisters, Kukoma Reserve, Tigresses Cubs, Giants Reserves and Fada Sisters.— Additional Reporting by SOLOMON MANDA
