By Chisomo Phiri

The Hockey Association of Malawi (HAM) has praised First Capital Bank (FCB) for increasing its sponsorship of this year’s national hockey tournament to K10 million from K5 million last year.

Speaking during the ongoing national hockey tournament dubbed ‘FCB Hockey Super 8 Tournament’ at National Hockey Stadium in Blantyre on Saturday, HAM Treasurer Chisomo Mkanda expressed gratitude to the bank for its continued support of the hockey sport in the country.

Mkanda acknowledged that the K10 million sponsorship came as a pleasant surprise to the association.

“We are so happy and grateful to FCB. Their increased support is not only encouraging but also shows their genuine commitment to the development of hockey in Malawi,” she said.

Mkanda said the tournament features both men’s and women’s categories, with equal prize money for top performers in each division.

She said the winners in both categories will receive K1 million, while the runners-up will earn K700,000 and teams finishing in third place will take home K500,000.

“This tournament is all about bringing teams from different regions together to compete, have fun, and play for attractive cash prizes.

“So far, the tournament is going very well. We kicked off yesterday afternoon, and we have already seen great skill and competitive spirit from teams across the Central and Eastern regions,” said Mkanda.

She went on to invite members of the public and potential sponsors to support and experience the excitement of hockey firsthand.

“Hockey is a great sport.We invite everyone to come and watch the games, see the talent, the passion, and the potential our players have.

“We hope more sponsors will follow in FCB’s footsteps,” she said.

On his part, FCB Marketing Manager Stanley Chiyora reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to continue supporting hockey sport in the country.

He emphasized that FCB has been supporting hockey in Malawi since 2013 and remains committed to helping the sport grow.

He acknowledged that hockey is one of the more neglected sports in the country, receiving minimal attention and investment compared to other disciplines.

“As a bank, we want to see the sport grow because hockey is one of the neglected sports in the country. There is  little patronage and little investment in the sport.That is why we keep investing and supporting the HAM. We want to encourage potential sponsors to also take the same action,” said Chiyora.

He revealed that beyond hockey, FCB is a well-known supporter of several other sports initiatives in the country such as being main sponsor of FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Football Club, the National Under-20 Football League, and Cricket sporting activities.

“As a corporate citizen, we believe it is our responsibility to develop sports in the country.Supporting sporting activities is not only beneficial to us as corporate entities through brand visibility and community engagement, but also to the players who gain opportunities for growth and development,” said Chiyora.

He echoed Mkanda’s remarks by calling on other companies in the private sector to step up and support hockey sport  in the country, stressing that collaborative efforts can elevate Malawi’s hockey sporting standards and provide meaningful opportunities for the youth.

FCB’s continued support comes at a time when many sports in the country are struggling with funding and visibility.