The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has inked an Sh127 Million deal with leading betting firm Odibets aimed at growing local football talent at the grass-root level.
The three-year deal will see all FKF county leagues renamed Odibets County leagues beginning this season. The betting firm will provide all clubs taking part in the leagues with six balls and playing kits.
Odibets General Manager Dedan Mungai noted that the partnership with FKF is in line with Odibet’s vision of growing untapped talent from the grassroots to national and finally the international level. Mungai said that he believes the partnership will further strengthen the grass-root leagues and offer the thousands of Kenyan youth an opportunity to showcase their talent and create a career out of playing football.
“Through this partnership and initiative, we hope to harness and foster the immense untapped potential that our grass-root county leagues have. As we start this journey, we take pride in youth development and believe that our brand resonates with the needs of the clubs at the grass-root level,” Mungai stated.
“OdiBets and FKF share a similar story and vision with our focus being nurturing raw football talent from the mtaa to national and international stardom. Odibets County leagues is poised to be a game-changer for our grassroots football going forward,” he added.
FKF President Nick Mwendwa welcomed the partnership stating that they were looking forward to nurturing local talent in the country.
“As a federation, we welcome this first of its kind partnership. We are happy to partner with Odibets to support grass root talent in the counties. Kenya has untapped potential and just as we have supported various leagues, we look forward to this opportunity and working closely with our partners to grow local teams,” Mwendwa mentioned.
The brand believes that such partnerships will be pivotal in advancing the steady growth of football in Kenya.
Kit Sponsorship Deal
Odibets recently launched a kit sponsorship initiative to promote safer gambling among Kenyans. Since the crackdown of betting companies by the government in July, betting companies have been trying their best not to promote the vice in the country.
After the crackdown on betting, the company dropped its shirt sponsorship deal with Mathare United as a result of the massive tax burden. The company’s country marketing manager, Aggrey Sayi, stated that Odibets will reinvent sponsorship to benefit more local communities while citing initiatives the company has sponsored in areas like Vihiga, Rongai and the expansive Rift valley.
Betting companies are slowly getting into the Sports scene in the country. In recent years, it has only been betting firms that are willing to invest in local sports.
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