Kenyan cricket team turns professional ahead of World Cup (29 December 1998)
NAIROBI, Dec 29 (AFP) - The Kenyan national cricket team has turned professional five months ahead of the World Cup following a 130,000-dollar sponsorship package by the country's East African Breweries Limited (EABL), a Kenya Cricket Association
29-Dec-1998
29 December 1998
Kenyan cricket team turns professional ahead of World Cup
AFP
NAIROBI, Dec 29 (AFP) - The Kenyan national cricket team has turned
professional five months ahead of the World Cup following a
130,000-dollar sponsorship package by the country's East African
Breweries Limited (EABL), a Kenya Cricket Association (KCA) statement
announced here Tuesday.
The sponsorship package, to meet the salaries of 21 players and under
the Tusker brand, will last for five years and will be subject to
renegotiation annually, EABL general manager Peter Wanjama said.
He added he hoped the deal could help bring Kenya similar success in
cricket to that which the country has achieved in track and field.
EABL, fighting to stave off market control competion from Castle
Breweries of South Africa, has invested about 2.5 million dollars in
cricket and football, with the Kenya national soccer team, Harambee
Stars, getting some 2.4 million dollars since last year.
Sharad Ghai, managing director of Media Plus Sport, a local marketing
agency which brokered the deal, said EABL have also taken over the
sponsorship of a regional club football tournament.
Kenya starts its cricket World Cup campaign in March during a tour of
Bangladesh which will act as a curtain raiser for the May-June event
in England, Ghai said.
In the last World Cup, Kenya upset West Indies by 73 runs, while it
beat India by 69 runs during the Coca Cola tournament in India which
featured the hosts and Bangladesh.
In England, they will face defending world champions Sri Lanka, India,
England, South Africa and Zimbabwe in the first phase.
Source :: AFP