BB return to old premises

Nyasa Big Bullets have relocated to their old premises at Mandala opposite College of Medicine in Blantyre.

The People’s Team director of administration Albert Chigoga yesterday said the premises include offices for both administrative and technical staff and that they will soon open a bar and a restaurant.

“For a start, we have offices only and soon we will be launching a bar and a restaurant. This is in line with our ambitious commercialisation drive,” he said.

Chigoga said initially, they were supposed to open the premises on New Year’s Day, “but due to other logistical challenges, we had to shelve the plans”.

During the launch of its commercialisation drive in November last year, the club’s former director responsible for technical issues Malinda Chinyama said as part of the commercialisation progress, the club had already insured players under medical aid, workman’s compensation and personal accidents.

“We have also purchased supporters’ registration equipment, acquired [an expatriate] coach and roped in a new partner in Gold Leaf,” he said.

Chinyama said since Nyasa Manufacturing Company (NMC) took over the club, there has been a high degree of discipline and sanity in the team.

“There are proper job descriptions, players are paid on time, trust has been restored among stakeholders, there is also financial stability, we have put in place brand and product rights protection and we have accounting software for financial records,” he said.

The club’s chief executive officer Fleetwood Haiya said: “Our aim is to make Nyasa Big Bullets one of the giants in the region and the whole continent of Africa. Our joining CAF underlines this ambition. We will devise strategies to achieve our vision for Nyasa Big Bullets.

 “As the first club to embrace commercialisation, we promise to remain trendsetters so as to influence the game of football in Malawi while upholding principles of fairplay,” he said.

Bullets first opened a clubhouse under the leadership of Chinyama and former general secretary Higger Mkandawire in 2011, but it folded years later after they had left.

For the past two years, the club had been operating from NMC offices.