The 2024 Castel Challenge Cup officially kicked off with pomp and fanfare at Champion Stadium in Mponela, Dowa District, on Saturday.
This is the second consecutive year the competition was launched in a remote area after the 2023 edition kicked off in Rumphi District.
Excitement engulfed Mponela as patrons were given a rare treat with football matches and live music performances.
After the matches, the excitement continued until dawn.
During the launch, Fam, in conjunction with Castel Malawi, distributed 217 footballs to district football committees for use in the Castel Challenge Cup.
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Each district got seven match balls.
In his remarks, Fam President Fleetwood Haiya commended Castel Malawi for increasing this year’s sponsorship package.
“When we reached out to them at the beginning of the year on the issue of sponsorship hike, they did not hesitate to act despite having a contract for the next two seasons. We do not take them for granted and we commit to continue giving them value,’’ Haiya said.
Haiya said by distributing match balls, the association has set a precedent that no competition should start without organisers providing match balls.
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“We cannot start football matches or competitions without providing footballs. Teams and organisers should have match balls. We have had competitions where organisers did not have even a single match ball and, sometimes, matches were abandoned due to lack of proper match balls,” Haiya said.
Castel Malawi Head of Marketing and Corporate Communication Lavern Chitakata said the company sees a lot of value in the game.
“It is our wish to see the growth of football in Malawi in general and rural areas in particular. We have seen big value in football since we started sponsoring the cup last year. The competition has impacted a lot of communities,” she said.
The firm increased this year’s sponsorship to K400 million from K320 million per season. The champions will pocket K55 million, up from K50 million, and the runners-up will get K25 million. During the launch, Blue Eagles beat Namitete Zitha 2-0.
