Cecafa Secretary-General Nicholas Musonye.
The Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup yesterday received a major boost when GTV announced a US$6m sponsorship deal covering four years.
The deal was signed in Nairobi by GTV`s Director of Business Development Ronnie Andrews and Cecafa Secretary-General Nicholas Musonye.
The deal will see the television station acquire exclusive media and commercial rights and broadcast the tournament live across Africa with the key objective of expanding the tournament and increasing its international popularity.
The deal came just under a month before the tournament to be held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from December 8-22.
The Dar es Salaam tournament will get US$500,000 which will go towards air lifting teams and officials, accommodation and general organization.
The money will also cover prize money with the winner getting US$30,000, the second winners taking home US$20,000 and third- placed team getting US$10,000.
Musonye said there will also be goodies for other top performers in the tournament.
While congratulating GTV on the partnership, Musonye said it will go a long way in the development of football in the region.
``For many years, Cecafa has remained the most active football zone in Africa despite lack of corporate sponsorship.
In the past seven years, we have had highly competitive competitions at club, youth and national levels.
``However, the arrival of GTV should drastically change the face of football in our zone and spur fierce competition and exposure,`` Musonye said.
Musonye said the GTV money will be utilised transparently so that this revolutionary new TV station is encouraged not only to reconsider the deal after four years but to also think of supporting other Cecafa activities.
Musonye said the sponsorship blended well with Cecafa`s Vision 2010 which entails pushing at least two teams in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Angola and one in the World Cup finals in South Africa, the same year.
GTV, who recently signed a similar deal with Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) for their Premier League, intends to spread their wings across the continent.
``We are extremely proud to be the sponsor and broadcaster of the most established football tournament in Africa,`` said GTV founder and managing director Julian McIntyre.
``Some of the most exciting football is now being played in East and Central Africa and we hope that GTV can bring the action to the homes of the fans and provide a platform to promote and showcase this talent across the continent,`` he added through a message from London.
Andrews said he had known Musonye for many years and he was confident he was dealing with a serious partner.
GTV`s commercial director Rhys Torrington, who attended the function, said the partnership has massive potential; the potential to strengthen the most established and oldest football tournament in Africa, to build national pride through sports, to promote health and development, and to increase employment.
``This partnership has everything: action, passion, glamour, development, business` as you can tell, at GTV we just absolutely love football and believe in the power that it has to not just entertain, but to drive development, too.``
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