Bullets differ with players on prize money share

Nyasa Big Bullets have differed with some players on the sharing of the 2021 Cecafa Club Championship $20 000 (about K16.5) million runners-up prize money.

Some of the players confided in The Nation that despite being entitled to a cut of the prize money, players did not get a penny.

Said one of the players: “The only money we got was $500 [about K412 000] each as appearance fee from the tournament’s organisers, but we got nothing from the prize money.”

On whether effort was made to take up the issue with the club’s management, one of them said: “It was discussed among ourselves [players] and the assumption was that the captains would take it up,  but nothing came up.”

On the local front, the  players claimed that for the TNM Super League, those that played got K10 000 each for every game, translating to K280 000 for a player who played in all the 28 matches while those that were on the bench, they got K5 000 each for every match.

“We feel that this was on the lower side, considering that the prize money was K15 million,” said the player.

Turning to Airtel Top 8, the players claimed that those that were in the team got K35 000 each for four games, translating to K140 000 to the highest earner.

The Airtel Top 8 winner’s prize was K17 million over four matches.

“And we felt this too was a raw deal, but we cannot take it up out of fear,” said one of the players.

In contrast, the highest earner at Silver Strikers got K500 000 from the FDH Bank Cup prize money share while the least paid player received K100 000.

But Bullets chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda said players are entitled to a 40 percent cut of the prize money upon winning a tournament.

He said: “Otherwise, it is at the discretion of the club to reward the players as a token of appreciation for reaching the final as was the case with the Cecafa Cup.

“So, it is not like they were not given money, they got bonuses at Cecafa as well as local competitions.

“In fact, while the players are entitled to 40 percent of the prize money, sometimes they are rewarded with 50 or 60percent of the prize money which is shared among them.”