FAM clears silence on Standard Bank Trophy

There is no cause for alarm over the veil of silence hanging on 2013 Standard Bank Knockout Trophy edition, FAM chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda assured yesterday.

“We expect the Standard Bank Trophy to get under way at the end of September. We have held preliminary talks with them. They are working on some activations, which they would like to undertake,” said Nyirenda.

The trophy did not feature on an earlier harmonised calendar which FAM and Sulom agreed after the April 1 stakeholders meeting.

Sulom general secretary Williams Banda, earlier, could not comment on the Standard Bank Trophy being held by Blue Eagles.

All the competitions for the year are in progress with the Presidential Cup expected to end at the end of this month followed by the Carlsberg Cup mid September. The league winds up in December.

Standard Bank marketing manager Linda Sisya-Kachingwe and head of marketing Chimwemwe Matonga could not pick calls when contacted on Wednesday. But sources corroborated FAM’s version.

“We are in the planning phase. A series of meetings have been held by the bank and FAM. There are just some technicalities,” said the source.