In a bid to improve the quality of basketball in the central region, foster basketball development at the grass roots and improve the overall marketability of the sport of basketball, the Central Zone Basketball League has decided to involve the services of a sports marketing firm.
The decision was reached at the basketball governing body’s strategic planning meeting, headed by CEZOBAL chairman Jacob Chiloya that took place on Sunday November 16th at the luxurious Crossroads Hotel.
CEZOBAL decided to engage the services of local sports marketing firm, Milestone Sports Entertainment with the aim of building a better and more corporate image, create more avenues for fundraising and marketing and rebuild fan interest and player commitment in the sport of basketball in the Central region.
Milestone Sports Entertainment was represented by Harvey Somanje the company’s Managing Director who was flanked by his Business Development and Marketing Officer. CEZOBAL has already started working on improving basketball in Malawi and to this effect they have joined forces with Afrocentric Magazine to support Afrocentric’s “Show Some Love Give Some Blood Day” this Saturday November 22. This blood donation effort that has been created by Afrocentric Magazine in a bid to raise blood in Malawi’s local blood bank.
Next Weekend there will be a car wash and braai at one of the leading garages in Lilongwe. All Lilongwe basketball team captains will be there and a lot of beauty models. From this weekend onwards basketball players will be on the streets of Malawi to revive the game and revive support for the game. In recent months, the CEZOBAL league has been receiving financial support support from JDS technologies, Flakers Entertainment and most recently Zain Malawi Ltd.
CEZOBAL is now sending a message, loud and clear to those who thought that basketball had died a natural death. And it is this; “think again”. All the squabbles that have been rocking been the CEZOBAL leagues are being resolved and everyone is pulling together for the betterment of the game and we shout "welcome back basketball" …reads the statement in part.
A 1 million Kwacha budget has been drawn up by Milestone Sports Entertainment to revive basketball in Malawi. The source of the funds has been kept secret until the Basketball awards day to be held in Lilongwe at the Crossroads Hotel.