Okavango Wilderness Safaris (OWS) has revealed that its recently unveiled P2.7 million three-year sponsorship to Selebi – Phikwe Nico United FC will help with the development of football in Ngamiland where the company has its operations.
The sponsorship, revealed over the weekend will see Nico receiving a P900, 000 for each season, starting with Botswana Premier League (BPL) 2023/2024 season until the 2025/2026 season. OWS will also assist the team with capacity building for administration work and coaching clinics for the technical team.
Speaking during the sponsorship unveiling in Selibe Phikwe on Saturday, OWS Chairman Kabelo Binns stated that the sponsorship to Nico United was not just any sponsorship because it is tied to the development of football not just in Selibe Phikwe region but also in Ngamiland where they do not have a BPL team.
“Part of the commitment from Nico United is to ‘adopt’ our region of Ngamiland where we have teams full of great potential, the likes of Sankoyo Bush Bucks, and many more. Nico United will as part of their sponsorship run training clinics, coaching workshops and many other football related skills transfer activities, to empower our teams in Ngamiland, our goal is to see one of our teams in Ngamiland burst onto the top of the BPL in a few years,” he said.
Binns stated that OWS has recently announced sponsorship packages for various teams in Ngamiland too, indicating that between the Nico United partnership and their teams in Ngamiland they have committed more than P4 million over the next three years as an initial investment.
Binns has revealed that through sport, youth in both areas will be given the tools to explore, learn and develop both in soccer and general life skills.
“We recognise the ability for football to empower young talent and propel them into professional sporting success, just as we recognise the wider impact that can come from commercialised, professionalised sport in communities and in the potential for sports tourism,” said Binns.
He added, “I can think of no better way to commemorate our 40 years of existence as Wilderness, than through this type of growth plan for the development of football. We are proud of the association we are now fostering here with Nico United and look forward to seeing the fruits that come from this partnership.”
For his part, Nico United Chairman Busani Segweni said that from 2016 until 2023 the club has been struggling with acquisition of sponsorship depending mostly on the assistance from the town leadership. Segweni has assured OWS that they will not disappoint them and also pleaded with the company to give them advice where it is necessary.
