Bullets introduce Players’ awards

Carlsberg Cup kings Big Bullets have introduced end-of-the-year players’ awards to offer their squad extra motivation, the People’s Team marketing head Dan Mbebuwa told The Nation.

The awards include for Player-of-the-year,Top scorer and Goalkeeper-of-the year, Mbebuwa said, adding that mechanism on voting and prizes attached will be announced later.

“The prizes for the awards will be determined by the sponsors. We will use our corporate base that we are working on with TNM, Bowler Beverage Limited and others. There will also be a website which is in progress,” Mbebuwa explained.

Additionally, Bullets have recognised their fans’ overwhelming participation in the TNM Sapota Mapeto promotion that has generated the team K2.1 million from the K3.6 million realised by all teams.

The team says supporters who buy TNM SIM cards through Bullets outlets will have the luxury of receiving fixtures every Friday through text messages.

“We do communicate with our supporters through social networks. There is also a radio programme that has been arranged to be aired by Matindi FM, so the selection [of award winners] will come from the supporters,” said Mbebuwa.

If each of the team’s estimated five million fans participated in the promotion through texting 10 times every day, the team can realise substantial amount of money that could enable the club to run without sponsorship, according to Mbebuwa.

Bullets’ supporters’ committee secretary Mavuto Chibambo yesterday confirmed that the awards’ introduction was mentioned during recent main executive committee meeting.

“That is indeed in the pipeline and at the end of the season we will sit down on how to make it colourful,” said Chibambo.

Bullets captain Henry Kabichi yesterday said it was pre-mature for him to comment on the in-house awards.

The Bullets, who under the previous Malinda Chinyama-led committee awarded their legends in 2012, could emulate TNM Super League defending champions Silver Strikers who held their awards ceremony last season.

Mighty Wanderers also used to host such activities, but stopped as MTL sponsorship dried up.