Kenya Premier League football club, AFC Leopards SC, popularly known as ‘Ingwe’ can breathe a sigh of relief after leading sports betting firm Betika bet on them with a sponsorship deal worth Kshs 195 million.
Betika announced the Kshs195M partnership with the AFC Leopards SC in a 3-year partnership deal effective August 1, 2022.
The partnership deal that comes into effect when the 2022/23 Football Kenya Federation Premier League season kicks off will help the team stabilize financially.
The boost is indeed a welcome move for the club who like many others in the league have suffered from financial constraints and inability to meet all their football related expenses.
The sponsorship deal was announced through the ‘Betika Na Community Initiative,’ which aims to invest in the youth by nurturing talent through sports, arts, and culture.
AFC Leopards SC Chairman, Dr. Dan Shikanda flagged by Secretary General Gilbert Andugu was delighted with the news saying: “We have been praying for you and we are glad to finally see a partnership with you Betika.
“Welcome to the ‘Ingwe’ family, we are proud to have the leading gaming firm on board. You have come to our rescue at a time when we as a club were facing tough times. Betika is the partner we have been looking forward to and we know that through your input, our performance on the pitch will improve and we hope to do more.
“Our target has always been to fight for the title and this financial help extended to us will go a long way in motivating the players and giving them the support, they need to do better. We also say a big thank you from our fans.”
Speaking during the announcement, Eric Mwiti, the firm’s Senior Brand Manager said: “Welcome to the home of Champions ‘Ingwe. You are leopards, walk with pride and with your kind. This partnership is solid and confirms our commitment to investing in the community through sports, arts and culture with football being a key focus.
“Through this, we aim to improve the standards of the game as we nurture talent both at the grassroot and national level. We also believe we can influence positive change among the youth through creating an atmosphere of talents and skills development in sports. Under this partnership, we hope to make the club great again. I am sure our partnership will bear greatness for not only the team but the fans at large.”
The ‘Ingwe fan base lauded Betika for coming on board at a crucial time when the announcement was made.
Betika has quickly gained market share and is growing into a massive movement with huge following across the country with sports lovers taking to the firm’s social media pages to congratulate the firm for partnering with AFC Leopards SC.
Betika marks yet another milestone through the initiative Betika Na Community. The partnership will increase the level of competition among the team since the league has improved in performance.
In addition to the Kenya Police FC and AFC Leopards SC sponsorship, Betika organizes tournaments for grassroot football teams under its ‘Betika Na Community’ initiative.
This initiative has now grown into a massive movement with huge following across the country with sports lovers taking to the firm’s social media pages to enquire where the initiative is going next.
Betika continues to reaffirm their commitment in holding similar tournaments across the country in 2022.