Bullets dismiss players’ claims on prize money

Big Bullets have dismissed their players’ claims that they were supposed to get a 50 percent cut from the K4.5 million (about $12 500) TNM Super League runners-up prize money.

The club’s chairperson Malinda Chinyama and general secretary Higger Mkandawire claimed the pledge was on condition that they win the championship.

Said Chinyama: “It is unfair for a section of the players to claim that there was an agreement to the effect that we would pay them 50 percent of the prize money.

“In fact the correct position is that they were promised 50 percent if they would win the championship because the prize money would have been more [K9 million], unfortunately we did not win the championship.”

On his part, Mkandawire said it was unfortunate that the players could not appreciate the role management played to ensure that they received most of their dues.

“We told them that from the K4.5 million that we got, we would pay them their outstanding game bonuses as well as settling debts with the league and banks.

“The players need to appreciate that officials had to cough from their pockets in order to meet the club’s bloated budget that was in excess of K40 million.

“In fact in the last four to five games we offered them a 50 percent bonus hike in an attempt to motivate them to win the league,” said Mkandawire.

Some Bullets players, who asked for anonymity, claimed that while management settled part of their outstanding dues in form of game bonuses, they were not paid the agreed 50 percent share from the league prize money.