Bullets lead in TNM Promo
listen during the draw yesterday
Big Bullets lead the pack in the TNM Sapota Mapeto Promotion and their supporter Kondwani Chirwa became the first winner of the main prize during the first draw of the contest at the TNM offices in Limbe on Tuesday.
According to TNM head of marketing Sobhuza Ngwenya, out of the 5 000 supporters of the 15 Super League teams that joined the competition since June 21, at least 2 595 belong to Big Bullets, 1 625 to Mighty Wanderers, 630 to Silver Strikers, 48 to Mponela United and 39 to Mzuzu United.
Presidential Champions Mafco, Blantyre United, Azam Tigers and Evirom FC were teams with least entries; 16, 14, 10 and seven respectively.
Bullets, whose Neno-based fan Chirwa won the first prize of a 42-inch LG Plasma TV flat screen during the draw yesterday, also lead in terms of the number of SMSs sent to the TNM for the contest which aims at helping local clubs to generate revenue from their supporters.
The fans sent approximately 60 000 SMSs and out of that, 26 933 came from Bullets whereas 17 384 and 7 317 came from Wanderers and Silver Strikers in that order. Azam Tigers and Evirom FC supporters sent the least number of votes, which were 100 and 89.
For their loyalty, Bullets supporters have helped their team generate K560 000 (about $1 400) from the K1.1 million (about $2 750) the SMS campaign has realised so far. Evirom fans have trickled in K1 800 (about $4.50) for their team.
Ngwenya said yesterday that each SMS costs K30 and the clubs get K21 (70 percent) from that while the content providers of the SMS platform Click Enterprises and TNM get K7.50 (25 percent) and K1.50 ( five percent) correspondingly.
However, Ngwenya and FAM competitions officer Gomezgani Zakazaka, who attended the draw, expressed disappointment with the number of supporters that have so far joined the SMSs campaign.
“Participation is lower than expected; teams claim to have large following from their supporters yet this is not a true reflection of the reality on the ground. We encourage the fans to send more SMS’ so as to help their teams generate revenue for their operations,” Ngwenya said.
Zakazaka said more fans should join the competition so that their teams can survive in this period of local clubs’ sponsorship hurdles.
During the draw, five supporters won mobile phones; the same number of people won hand-held radios; 16 people succeeded in winning soccer balls while 200 fans won TNM-branded T-shirts.
Draws will be conducted monthly until December and five draws are remaining. Ngwenya said supporters can call 105 or go on the website tnm.co.mw and their facebook page TNM Malawi to find out how to join the contest. He said they have spread hundreds of thousands of leaflets containing the details of the campaign across the country.
