League kickoff in jeopardy

Even before the 2013/14 season begins today, controversy has already marred its kickoff.

The Botswana Premier league head office is allegedly in crisis as the premier league teams have aired their grievances over mobilisation funds or grants.
A P1.6 million grant is paid to the BPL by the league sponsors to disburse among teams before the season commences. However, indications are that the BPL is failing to explain this issue to their clients as relationship continues to sour between them and beMOBILE. Trouble began last season when the mobile giants felt hard done by the BPL as they had breached their contractual agreement to broadcast 60 live games. This live broadcast was an important marketing tool for sponsors, as they wanted to use it to reach multitudes of their customers. In fact they had made it clear to BPL that they would not want to see their customers climbing mountains to watch live Premier league games.

The sponsors according to sources, prefer the games to be broadcast in easily accessible channels like Botswana television. Already some teams have vented their anger by writing to the BPL stating that they might boycott the premier league games starting this week if that fee has not been paid by Friday.
Uniao Flamingo Santos is one of the teams, which has made their intentions clear. Tafic acting spokesperson Carlos Motaung said that his team has no sponsors and relies heavily on the grant and gate takings. “It helps us to pay players at least in the first round that’s why people say Tafic is a first round team because we are able to pay our players and perform very well.

We do not know what to tell our players and supporters because some feel already we have received the money,” he said. Miscellaneous chairman Seiphetho Sefhako told BG Sports, “We don’t have a sponsor and late delivery of funds has affected us very seriously as those funds assist us to pay travel expenses when playing pre-season games and it helps us to buy equipment that we use as a team.” Meanwhile Mosimanegape Seitshiro of Gunners lamented that the main purpose of the grant is to help teams prepare before the season kicks off. “It becomes irrelevant if we receive it after the season has kicked off.

We had no option but to sacrifice to meet our coach’s demands for pre-season as he wanted his team to be in camp for a certain period of time but we did not give him adequate time to be in camp. We could have signed certain players with the help of that fund and cleared our debts,” he said. BTC communication Manager Golekanye Molapisi said they could not comment on contractual issues with third parties. The premier league Chief Executive Officer Bennett Mmamelodi confirmed the crisis saying it is an “unfortunate situation that we find ourselves in.

But the league has to start this Friday; the board has approved the fixtures.” Mamelodi confirmed that they had received a complaint letter from Santos. “All teams must honour their fixtures, failure to do so will result in stiff penalties against them,” he said. The sponsors are allegedly demanding a signed broadcasting contract, which will assure them that indeed the agreed quota of games will be televised.