Sulom financially safe amid Covid-19 pangs

Sulom says despite the financial constraints caused by the effects of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the top flight league body is in the comfort zone for now.

The pandemic has hit sports bodies and clubs globally and on the local scene, some clubs such as Karonga United and Chitipa United are struggling to pay players while Be Forward Wanderers have cut players’ salaries by half.

In an interview, Super League of Malawi (Sulom) president Tiya Somba Banda said: “At the moment we are good.”

He said Sulom is able to pay its staff and take care of its operations.

Apart from administration fee from TNM plc sponsorship, the top-flight league runners also get their revenue from clubs’ registration and affiliation fees, gate collections cut and broadcasting rights.

Further, Sulom also gets K7.5 million subvention from Football Association of Malawi (FAM) per annum.

But this year, FAM has committed to double subvention for its affiliates to cushion effects of Covid-19.

FAM  has also created a Special Relief Fund aimed at bailing out elite players and officials who rely on football as a source of income.

The association’s executive committee made the decision to channel the association’s Fifa Special Projects funding for 2020 amounting to $400 000 (K300 million) to the Relief Fund.

FAM president Walter Nyamilandu said: “FAM will offer monthly stipends to the above-mentioned beneficiaries of not less than minimum wage as prescribed by Malawi Government.

“We will, in collaboration with relevant authorities like clubs and associations, pay individual beneficiaries direct to their personal accounts between June and July.

“The Relief Fund will be assessed on month-to-month basis by the task force to determine the extent and continuation of the support.”