SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
SportPesa and Everton Football Club have seen their partnership rewarded, at the recent Sports Industry Awards function held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Scooping the Best African Sponsorship and Pan-Africa Campaign of the Year awards, the sponsorship has been celebrated for bringing Premier League football to East Africa for the first time.
Mark Rollings, Head of Partnership Management at Everton Football Club, explained: “We are delighted that our partnership with SportPesa has been recognised on such a prestigious stage as the Sports Industry Awards.
“These are the most recognised sports sponsorship and marketing awards in Africa, so to win both Best African Sponsorship and Pan-Africa Campaign of the Year is a testament to the strength of our partnership with SportPesa, and their ethos as a partner.
“Everton has a proud history of African players and a special connection to the continent, so this is not only a proud day for the club, but also a demonstration of what the power of Everton can do for commercial partners in the region.
“Our two organisations have worked hand-in-hand to bring our partnership to life over the last twelve months, and our activation work in Tanzania last season saw us break new ground together as the first England Premier League team to play in East Africa, an event which captivated the whole of the region.
“To deliver what we have within the first 12 months of our partnership is a fantastic achievement, but we are now very much focused on looking forward to ensuring this partnership continues to go from strength to strength.”
Referred to as “Everton in Tanzania,” the sponsorship saw the blues travel to Dar es Salaam to take on Kenyan SportPesa Super Cup winners Gor Mahia, in front of a sold out 35,000 capacity crowd.
A return tie is pencilled in for November of this year at Everton’s Goodison Park home, which will see Gor Mahia become the first East African club side to play in the UK after retaining their SportPesa Super Cup crown.
Tarimba Abbas, Director of Administration and Compliance for SportPesa Tanzania, added: “It’s great for SportPesa and myself to witness such an honour given to our company, the recipients of the awards. SportPesa is now a global company, and these awards will motivate us in our venture to participate in sports development in Africa, and the world at large.”
