Spar commits K225m to schools football
By ROBINSON KUNDASPAR Zambia has committed K225 million to the promotion of schools soccer in Lusaka and Southern provinces.
Spar general manager Nicholas Best said this in Choma on Saturday during the schools tournament that his company and Alive and Kicking Zambia sponsored at Choma Secondary School.
He said Spar Zambia in conjunction with Alive and Kicking and the Ministry of Education has embarked on a Balls to Schools programme aimed at distributing 2,700 match balls to 900 schools in Lusaka and Southern provinces.
Best said the chain store has been working with Alive and Kicking in sponsoring schools’ tournaments since July and pledged to continue supporting youth soccer.
He explained that Spar Zambia and Alive and Kicking have been holding tournaments in Lusaka and some schools have already received donations of match balls.
Best said Spar will spread the Balls to Schools campaign to other areas of the country after finishing with Lusaka and Southern provinces.
And Spar Choma managing director Rebecca Beckett said her organisation is committed to the promotion of sport in the area.
Beckett said Spar Choma was delighted to join forces with Alive and Kicking in staging a tournament which was also used to spread HIV/AIDS messages.
“Choma District has many schools and we believe that the message of today’s tournament will reach a large number of young people in Choma and the surrounding areas,” she said.
Becket said Spar Choma has been sponsoring a number of activities in the district from the time it was opened in 2007.
“As the business of Choma grows, we hope to contribute more to the community by supporting education, sport and the hospital.
Southern Province Principal Education Standards officer Cecilia Sakala thanked Spar for taking up the social responsibility.
Sakala said it was encouraging to see a company pumping money into sport at the time when there is global economic meltdown.
Alive and Kicking managing director Chad Conaty said his organisation will continue partnering with Spar in supporting sport in schools.
Conaty appealed to other organisations to emulate Spar and join in providing equipment to schools.
He commended Spar Choma for sponsoring the tournament in which 40 basic and high schools participated.
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