BetPawa, Fuba enter Shs2.6b partnership to take national teams places
Allan Tumushabe, the Country Director of BetPawa and Ntoudi Mouyelo -MD, Chief Commercial Officer sign off the deal as Fuba President Nasser Sserunjogi (L), betPawa’s Spencer Okach, Sports Minister Peter Ogwang and NCS General Secretary Bernard Patrick Ogwel (L) look on. PHOTO/EMANZI NDYAMUHAKI
What you need to know:
- Uganda has, in the last few years, dined at the biggest table of Africa’s basketball, finishing sixth in the men’s 2021 Fiba Afrobasket and seventh in the 2023 women’s continental showpiece.
The last time the national basketball teams had a sponsor was 2014 when they landed a $50,000 deal with LingLong Tires.
That sponsorship played a key part in starting the teams’ journey to continental basketball, where Uganda has since become part of the furniture.
Ten years later, the national teams have received a much bigger shot in the arm following Fuba’s announcement of BetPawa as the national teams’ sponsor in a ceremony held Wednesday morning at Fairway Hotel, Kampala.
The Shs2.6b sponsorship announced will run for three years and help the teams in various ways, including transportation, accommodation and training.
The story of basketball teams and lack of resources is now expected to be history, with players also assured of a locker room bonus of Shs150,000 for every win registered during the period of the sponsorship.
Players will also have access to medical insurance through this partnership in cases of injuries while playing for the national teams.
Ntoudi Mouyelo - MD, Mchezo & Chief Commercial Officer, betPawa said: "With Uganda Silverbacks having recently been ranked by FIBA as one of the most improved countries by ranking, moving up four spaces to position 83, out of 160; we see a huge potential in this country."
Uganda has, in the last few years, dined at the biggest table of Africa’s basketball, finishing sixth in the men’s 2021 Fiba Afrobasket and seventh in the 2023 women’s continental showpiece.
Hon. Peter Ogwang - Minister of State for Education and Sports thanked betPawa for the gesture and promised support from government to companies that invest in sport.
"We want to promise you under the Uganda Gaming and Lottery Board that we are working on reducing taxes so that they can be able to promote the sports infrastructure development in Uganda," Ogwang revealed in his speech.
He further urged Fuba to run the federation as a business by looking for more partners and creating products that can attract money, like selling national teams’ merchandise.
The betPawa logo will be emblazoned on both the Silverbacks and Gazelles jerseys as well as all national team merchandise.
BetPawa sponsorship
Amount: Shs2.6b
Duration: Three years
Sponsored teams: Silverbacks, Gazelles
Covers: Training, transportation, accommodation, insurance, locker room bonus
