Chronicle Editor
Fungai Muderere, Senior Sports Reporter
ENERGEM Petroleum Limited of Malawi has forked out K5 million to buy the naming rights of a four-team pre-season invitational tournament that will feature Chicken Inn at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre next week.
The three-day tournament was previously known as Bullets Big Four Bonanza.
The Gamecocks were invited to take part in the event, which will also feature Mozambican side UD Songo, BE Forward Wanderers and Malawi champions Nyasa Big Bullets, coached by Callisto Pasuwa.
“After being called the Bullets Big Four Bonanza last year, the trophy will now be called Energem International Bonanza.
“This follows fruitful discussions our marketing team had with the company. Energem has bought the naming rights at K5 million and that will include provision of warm up kits and dressing up of ball boys,” read a statement from the tournament organisers.
Chicken Inn secretary-general Tawengwa Hara said they were proud to take part in a well-funded pre-season tournament.
“We are happy that we played a part in the growth of this international pre-season tournament.
“It’s an open secret that we contributed in helping this brilliant football initiative to attract sponsors and as such, we will not just be going to Malawi for a tour. We are going there with a particular purpose of assessing our team, marketing our players and to further hoist the Zimbabwe flag in foreign lands,” said Hara.
In 2016, Chicken Inn were invited to a four-team tournament in Zambia which featured Azam of Tanzania, Zesco United and Zanaco.
The following year, the Gamecocks played against Zanaco and Nkana Red Devils of Zambia in another pre-season event.
The Gamecocks have been one of the busiest clubs on the transfer market in this pre-season and have so far made seven new acquisitions. — @FungaiMuderere
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