Delta Beverages marketing director Maxen Karombo revealed at the Castle Lager Soccer Star of the Year Awards ceremony that although negotiations have opened between the two parties nothing has come out of those discussions.
Karombo said they were reviewing the events that took centre stage in the past three years to see if they can continue bankrolling the top football flight league.
The Delta Beverages head of marketing was straight to the point accusing the football family of being ungrateful after his company had chipped in with funding when the Premier Soccer League did not have a league sponsor.
Karombo was reacting to sentiments from some sections of the football fraternity including those of Harare City chairman Lesley Gwindi who said the money Delta are putting into football is little.
The league champions receive $70,000 while the winners of the eight team knockout tournament the Banc ABC Sup8r get $120,000. The winners of the Mbada Diamonds Cup get $130,000 and their runners up get $25,000 more than the league winners.
However, PSL chairman Twine Phiri was hopeful that Delta Beverages would continue supporting the league adding that he is also hopeful that a deal will be struck well before the soccer season kicks of in March next year.
Phiri said the league are not part of the sentiments made against Delta Beverages adding that they have made clear their position to their principal sponsors, and have apologized for the wrong signal sent to their sponsor. Delta Beverages came to the rescue of the Premier Soccer League after they had gone for seasons without a sponsor following the withdrawal of CBZ and Econet.
Observers, however, are dreading of the situation in which the PSL could once again go without a sponsor as happened in 2010 when Motor Action were not rewarded for winning the league title. Their player Charles Sibanda also did not receive any reward for being the soccer star of the year.
Apart from football, Delta Beverages also sponsors the Lion Lager Rugby League, the Zimbabwe and Harare Open golf tournaments, cricket, fishing, the Danhiko Games and other sporting activities.
Post published in: Football