Tadious Manyepo
DYNAMOS have received a double boost ahead of their Battle of Zimbabwe Part 2 showdown against Highlanders at Barbourfields Sunday.
The Glamour Boys yesterday were gifted with 50 match and training balls by the Pakistan Embassy and they also signed a merchandise partnership deal with a local company.
DeMbare, who will be the home team tomorrow, will be hoping to collect the maximum points against log leaders Highlanders with the team set to use the match balls from Pakistan in that match.
The balls were manufactured by the globally-acclaimed Goldsoni Pakistan, which is based in Sialkot, the city that manufactures about 70 percent of world footballs.
But it’s not only the balls that Dynamos are celebrating as the gift marked the beginning of a lucrative partnership between the Harare giants and the sports equipment manufacturing firms in Pakistan as well as that country in general.
Speaking during the handover ceremony yesterday, Ambassador Murad Baseer, a former footballer himself, said he was willing to engage Pakistani sport companies and bring them to Zimbabwe.
“It is my privilege that we have engaged with Dynamos FC, one of the top teams of the Premier Soccer League here in Zimbabwe. I believe this is just the beginning of our cooperation with the club,” he said.
“I used to pass by the Alexandra Sports Club adjacent to our Embassy and see the Glamour Boys in training, being a sportsman myself, I realised that engaging with a local football team will bring people to people contact and generate goodwill between Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Sports can become an amazing link between people and can transcend borders and inhibitions between people.
“It is my endeavour to engage with the people of Zimbabwe and introduce Pakistani Sport companies to Zimbabwe. I am sure that the training and match balls handed over to the club today will become a precursor for their success and future cooperation between Dynamos FC and Goldstoni Pakistan”.
Dynamos board chairman Bernard Marriot-Lusengo said the gift has laid a firm foundation towards the cooperation between the team and the Embassy of Pakistan.
“I am very happy to be here, receiving such a huge gesture. I understand these balls are very expensive and they are of the highest quality. They have been customised as well and that’s very symbolic of the relationship that we have just started,” said Marriot-Lusengo.
“I am very humbled as the club board chairman. I heard that the Ambassador (Baseer) was always peeping through our training sessions as he passed by where our team trains. Eventually, he decided to engage the secretary general (Webster Marechera) , culminating in this gift.
“I would like to assure him that we are a trustworthy brand and we hope to enhance this relationship going forward”.
Marriot-Lusengo said the gift should also propel Dynamos to victory in tomorrow’s battle against Bosso.
Meanwhile, DeMbare signed a merchandise selling deal with Amikam.
The latter will be the sole authorised distributor of the Glamour Boys merchandise for the next two years.
For the past six decades that Dynamos have been in existence, they have been losing revenue for their failure to exploit this avenue.
And they hope to start recording profits from merchandise sales with Amikam revealing they will set up shops across the country from where the fans will access the team’s regalia.
Dynamos and Amikam will share proceeds on a 50-50 basis.
Club head of marketing David Chikomo said the team is exploring different avenues to see to it that they start realising profit.
“Dynamos is a very big brand and everything associated with the team including its finances should also be big,” said Chikomo.
“It is against this background that we are trying to find ways to start making money as a team. In the world of football, clubs make money from different platforms with merchandise sales being one of the major revenue generators.
“We have so many supporters who are starved of genuine club merchandise. That’s what prompted us to engage Amikam.
“The days when everyone would just print everything and sell them depriving Dynamos the chance to make money are over”.