Bottoman promises drastic changes in Sulom
Super League of Malawi (Sulom) president Innocent Bottoman unleashed his volley of manifesto at Alendo Hotel, Blantyre yesterday, promising drastic administrative structural changes if re-elected for a second four-year term on March 14.
Facing the challenge of Daud Mtanthiko who unveiled his manifesto last month, Bottoman, dressed in a grey suit, was a picture of confidence and composure as he took the media, club officials and chanting fans through a one-hour presentation that sounded like a romantic letter.
In his manifesto themed: Going for 100 percent professionalisation of the Super League football, Bottoman, among other things promises to ensure all teams have legal ownership, drum up government support to CAF competitions participants, establish a lottery and negotiate with facility owners for ground levy reduction.
“At present the administrative structure of both Sulom and the clubs is such that the elected officials run the affairs of the respective bodies on day-to-day-basis. This set up is unsuitable for professional football management. My plan is to shake up things by changing the administrative structures whereby day to day running of the two entities would be done by employed personnel at a secretariat with a board of trustees/board of directors overseeing affairs,” said Bottoman.
He also promises to ensure that teams such as Mafco and Airborne Rangers of Salima own grounds for home matches to maximise game revenue and meeting pre-conditions that would entice SuperSport television channel to cover the Super League, adding: “In modern football, real money comes from TV coverage, not gate fees.”
“In the quest to bring in more money into Super League football, I will also push for setting up a Super League football lottery in unison with partners like TNM with a view to raising huge sums that would be re-distributed to Super League,” Bottoman said before a panel that included executive members Charles Manyungwa, Willie Phalula and treasurer Tiya Somba Banda.
Bottoman was also accompanied by vice-presidency candidate Gift Mkandawire, whose challenger Daud Suleman unveiled his manifesto on Friday.
While scoring on introducing doping tests and sports medicine, the manifesto, however, dwells little on improving players’ remuneration and the laughable man-of-match awards.
In an era of inclusion, all candidates are yet to mention women and other marginalised people in any sentence of their manifestos.
Yesterday marked the start of submission of nominations at Sulom secretariat. The deadline is February 28.
For Bottoman’s full manifesto
2015 Bid to Renew Mandate to Govern Sulom (Revised) by John Richard Kasalika
