Photo Credit: Zimbabwe Cricket
One of Zimbabwe’s first-class provincial teams, Eagles, have received a major boost ahead of the 2021/22 domestic cricket season after securing an historic naming rights deal with local health insurance company Alliance Health.
The US$19 000 agreement will see the side – which represents the Harare Metropolitan and Mashonaland Central provinces – going by the name Alliance Health Eagles.
This is the first time in the history of cricket in Zimbabwe to have a local team entering a naming rights deal.
Speaking at a colourful ceremony held to unveil the sponsorship agreement at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday, Alliance Health general manager Millicent Banda said: “Cricket has a special place in the hearts of many Zimbabweans (and) it is important that as business entities we take a keen interest in and provide support to our local sports teams.
“Our relationship with Eagles started last year with the sponsorship of the team’s travel kit.
“The Eagles squad played well over the past year, with several players currently feeding into the Zimbabwe national cricket team.
“So, the ripple effect of our involvement with the Eagles squad goes deeper than just the province.
“We have seen the opportunity to service the community and develop the next generation of talented cricketers.
“By aligning our brand with the Eagles squad, we are confident in the abilities of this elite team.
“We foresee a long stay on the crease for Alliance Health Eagles, hitting more fours and sixes, bringing a lot more opportunities for exposure for both brands.”
Eagles general manager Wonder Chisango welcomed the sponsorship as a massive boost for their male and female teams ahead of the 2021/22 domestic season which gets underway this Friday.
“We have exciting times ahead, as we are rebranding and renaming ourselves after Alliance Health came on board with a nice, sweet deal for us,” he said.
“You can look forward to trophies, trophies and more trophies as we have a solid squad this year – a mixture of senior and junior players.”
Several first-team players, among them Regis Chakabva, Chamu Chibhabha, Tapiwa Mufudza, Richard Ngarava, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Faraz Akram, Precious Marange and Modester Mupachikwa, attended the unveiling ceremony.
“It is a big boost for us as players ahead of the season. We are looking forward to a really good season and it is always appreciated when a big company like Alliance Health comes on board,” Chakabva said.
“It gives a lot of confidence to us as players and we look forward to donning their name of our playing shirts.”
Name of Author: Zimbabwe Cricket
Zimbabwe Cricket is the governing body for cricket in Zimbabwe. A full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), ZC oversees the national team and organizes international Test, ODI, and T20 matches. It also manages domestic cricket competitions such as the Castle Logan Cup, Coca-Cola Metbank Pro50 Championship, and Stanbic Bank 20 Series.
