No funding for PSL

who spoke on condition of anonymity, last week said most of the options had been exhausted and nothing more than some promises seemed to be coming on the way. The top-flight league last year finished without a sponsor for the championship and winners, Highlanders only had pride to celebrate for after a costly campaign for the championship trophy.
Sports have not been spared by the deepening economic crisis, which President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) government has failed to avert over the past seven years.
“We are still in talks with some institutions but have failed to get anything substantive,” the PSL source said. “Some of the biggest corporate members we seriously hoped would come in have already indicated their unwillingness. It is not looking good and we might be in for another difficult season.”
The top-flight league lost a lucrative sponsorship deal it had signed with cellular network provider, Econet, two years ago as a result of the endemic squabbling within local soccer leadership and since then other sponsors who used to sponsor tournaments took flight as well.
Leading banking institution, Barclays, which was reported to have held talks with the top-flight league late last year, strenuously denied reports of a deal having been signed and it has since emerged that the international institution initially had interest but was dissuaded by advisers on political grounds. A highly-placed source said the local leaders of the bank were warned of a possible backlash due to what seems like government’s involvement in the running of local soccer structures.
PSL vice-chairman Willard Manyengavana declined to discuss the sponsorship issue but merely said there were negotiations going on and information would be released if anything was clinched.
Meanwhile, the scenario has left champions Highlanders to beg for assistance as they prepare for the Africa Champions League, with early indications showing they need about Z$10 billion just for the initial stages of the tournament.
PSL teams struggled to finish last season with escalating transport and other costs. A team travelling from Harare to play in Bulawayo needed between $500 000 and $1million for the expenses and would make at least one such trip per month.