Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
A LOCAL company, Caldice Investments (Private) Limited which bankrolled the Highlanders’ clubhouse grounds rehabilitation project, has signed a two-year sponsorship deal to sponsor Bosso’s youth teams.
Through its Eyethu Fruit and Veg business venture, the company concluded the deal with Bosso last Thursday.
Eyethu Fruit and Veg will, among other things, kit Bosso’s developmental sides from the Under-13s to Under-20s.
Highlanders chairman Kenneth Mhlophe and Eyethu Fruit and Veg manager Shyleen Dube confirmed the youth development partnership.
“We started pursuing this junior development deal last year, with the first part being laying the ground for the rebirth of a strong and competent talent identification and nurturing programme by revamping the clubhouse fields. We sourced funding for the clubhouse grounds last year and paid the contractor in full. The idea has and is to have our development sides housed at the clubhouse to cut costs.
“As Highlanders we are grateful to Caldice Investments (Pvt) Limited, through Eyethu Fruit and Veg, for this partnership, which will comfort the club’s operations. We thank them for the faith they’ve shown in the Highlanders system and their appreciation of our endeavour to develop and strengthen the club’s backbone, which is junior development,” said Mhlophe.
Last year Highlanders paid the full amount of $380 000 for restoration of the clubhouse training grounds to the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) nursery and parks department, which is undertaking the work.
After completion, one field will be reserved for first team use, with the youth teams using the other two fields for training sessions and home games.
Highlanders will also rent out one of the grounds to social teams that use the clubhouse as their home to raise money for maintaining the facility.
Eyethu Fruit and Veg’s Dube said they were excited to partner Highlanders, which she said was part of their strategic growth as well as corporate social responsibility programmes.
“We’re excited with this partnership which is both beneficial to us and Highlanders FC. This partnership is meant to create excitement within Highlanders FC as well as the Bulawayo community as we understand that the club draws its juniors from across Bulawayo. More details on this partnership will be announced on the day of the launch,” said Dube.
Eyethu has also struck a deal with Highlanders captain Ariel Sibanda as its brand ambassador.
Eyethu Fruit and Veg set up operations in the Bulawayo suburbs of North End and Nkulumane last year. — @ZililoR
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