Bullets players to share K1.5m Sapota Mapeto bonus
Nyasa Big Bullets players will share the K1.5 million (about $2 291) bonus revenue the team has obtained for hitting an overall 300 000 SMS mark in the TNM Sapota Mapeto Promotion.
After the last draw of the 2015 text messaging campaign at TNM head office in Blantyre on Wednesday, Bullets vice-general secretary Kelvin Moyo confirmed that the bonus revenue will go directly to the players in appreciation for their hard work that saw the side defending the league title with four games to spare.
“We want to give our players a special appreciation for their hardwork and determination. We have, therefore, agreed as Bullets executive to let the players share the K1.5 million bonus apart from getting their normal upkeep,” Moyo said.
Bullets relied on their fans’ last-gasp surge of text messaging to hit the 300 000 SMS mark and obtain the bonus proceeds. The team was averaging 45 722 SMSs per month before the final sixth draw and had a deficit of 71 386 SMSs to reach the target. But they nailed it with 88 418 SMSs.
Bullets second vice-chairperson Austin Kasito, treasurer Alex Gondwe and supporters’ committee chairperson Stone Mwamadi thanked the team’s supporters for heeding their plea to send more SMSs in the final month of the promotion.
Bullets supporters also dominated in terms of receiving prizes during the final draw. The team’s Lilongwe-based fan Ulemu Bakali was the lucky winner of K200 000 prize while George Manjolo and Linje Kamwendo received 42-inch plasma screens for sending the most SMSs, 1 950 and 1 852, respectively.
During the 2015 Sapota Mapeto season, Bullets emerged the biggest recipient of revenue with a total of K12.7 million, including the bonus. In 2014, they were also the biggest earners at K9.3 million. Be Forward Wanderers and Silver Strikers were the second and third best recipients with K5.6 million and K1 million in that order.
According to TNM marketing manager Madalitso Jonazi, the 2015 promotion raised a total of K20 million against 2014 season’s K16.3 million.
The mobile network service providers also awarded outstanding media practitioners for contributing towards the success of the 2015 promotion.
Lusayo Kanyika of Blantyre Newspapers Limited, MBC’s Frank Kandu, Peter Fote of Joy Television and Yamikani Simutowe of Nyasa Times emerged the best print media, radio, television and online journalists respectively. Each received a Samsung Galaxy Tab4. n
