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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
HARARE giants Dynamos are expecting to receive the final batch of their kits and equipment supplies before the start of the season as they look to wrap up their three-year deal with UK-based sports equipment and apparel manufacturer, On The Ball Looks.
DeMbare head with satisfaction into the last year of the contract with the suppliers who kitted their side for the last three years under an estimated US$300 000 deal signed in 2020.
The contract had to roll over into an extra year to compensate for the 2020 season when football was not played because of Covid-19, as both teams could not get commercial value as a result. Dynamos chairman Moses Maunganidze yesterday told The Herald are expecting new deliveries before the start of the new season.
“We are in the last year of our sponsorship deal with OTB Looks and we are expecting the deliveries of our kits and equipment before the start of the season.
“As a club, we have been talking with our suppliers and they have been telling us that, due to work schedules and some unforeseen situations, there could be some delays. But the equipment will definitely come before the start of the season.
“Then, we are going to sit down at the end of the season and review the whole deal and afterwards we see what happens to this relationship,” said Maunganidze.
The Glamour Boys have looked sharp and organised in terms of kits and other sports gear in the last three years, thanks to the sponsorship deal with OTB Looks. The UK-based company supplied Dynamos with four sets of uniforms and travel gear among other apparel.
Besides matchday kits, the Harare giants also got training kits, travel kit, alternative kit, travelling bags, caps and replica jerseys for the duration of the contract.
The replica jerseys have been selling at US$25. Maunganidze said the volumes had not moved as they had expected but were still satisfied with the returns.
“The replicas have been well received by the fans. We haven’t encountered problems with the quality of the product and the designs are good. Our sales haven’t been bad at all but there is definitely need to improve,” he said.
“Obviously because of the economic conditions, there have been an outcry from some sections of the fans who felt the price was beyond their reach.
“So when we are done with the current deal, we will obviously try to look at how best we can go to satisfy our fans across the board; whether we contemplate low end models among the supplies and at the same time maintaining the high quality replicas that we have been getting.
“For now it is difficult to tamper with the prices because we cannot subsidise the stock that has already been delivered.”
OTB Looks also had almost similar deals with Dynamos’ rivals Highlanders and Manica Diamonds. The company was established in 1976 in London, England, and is not a new brand to the world of sportswear. It has a factory in China and has a reputable footprint in the Asian market and Europe.
“When we got into this deal, our sponsors told us they were penetrating into the African market and still trying to make a name. We hope we have done our best to give them the exposure and good value.
“In terms of quality, I think both the replicas and the kits have been excellent,” said Maunganidze. DeMbare continued with their preparations for the new season when they played two practice games against Black Rhinos in Chinhoyi at the weekend. They lost the first game 0-1 before hitting back 2-1 in the second, with goals from Ghanaian Emmanuel Paga and Elvis Moyo. New DeMbare head coach Herbert Maruwa is using the pre-season friendly games to integrate his new players and fine-tune combinations.
Online Reporter