Old Mutual-Bata Sponsorship for Zimbabwe Cricket

A sponsorship event was held at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday 3 September for Old Mutual Life Assurance and Bata Shoe Company, the two major sponsors of the national team. Players and guests were present.

Lovemore Banda, the ZCU media and communications manager, welcomed the guests and then handed over to ZCU chairman Peter Chingoka for the opening address. This was followed by addresses from Old Mutual CEO Graham Hollick and Bata marketing manager Graham Fulton.

Old Mutual will sponsor the national side in all international cricket, overseas tours included, until 2004, while Bata supplied 35 sets of kit, worth a total of over Z$5 million, for the ICC Champions Trophy, the Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe tour to England. They will also supply a complete set of new kit for the World Cup, making their total contribution to Zimbabwe cricket during 2002/03 in excess of Z$10 million.

There was an official handing over of the uniform to Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak, who responded with a vote of thanks. The proceedings concluded with a press conference involving Messrs Chingoka, Streak, Hollick, Fulton and Zimbabwe team manager `Babu' Meman.