Nyasa defends BB sponsorship
Big Bullets’ new sponsorship partners, Nyasa Manufacturing Company (NMC), have insisted that they are unfazed by recent criticism of their sponsorship to the TNM Super League champions.
In a response t o non-governmental organisation, Drug Fight Malawi’s recent criticism that the K500 million five-year sponsorship might encourage tobacco smoking, Nyasa’s executive director, Dimitri Kalaitzis, on Monday said they followed procedures such as seeking clearance from Football Association of Malawi.
“When you look at the packet of our products, it states that smoking is not for children but for those who are 18 and above, same as alcohol. We don’t sell cigarettes to children. Our marketing team is very strict on that and we can assure parents that we are very strict on that,” he said during the unveiling ceremony of a new Nike Nyasa-branded Bullets kit at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on Monday on Monday.
Kalaitzis added that their unveiling of the jersey signified their commitment to investing in the club.
“We were told that Bullets is the biggest club in Malawi and it had been without sponsorship for over 10 years. Therefore, for us to be the biggest company in Malawi, we have to support the biggest team,” he said.
He said the official launch of the partnership would be held in Lilongwe on December 27 after the official crowing of Bullets as the 2015 Super League champions at Civo Stadium.
Drug Fight Malawi argued that the world’s football governing body, Fifa prohibits cigarette manufacturers from sponsoring football.
But Bullets chairperson, Sam Chilunga said: “Sometimes bad publicity is good advertising. The critics did not follow proper channels in giving out their opinion. Fam responded and enlightened them on what the partnership is all about.”
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