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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
THERE was a time when the domestic Premier Soccer League almost choked to death because of lack of funding, but things are beginning to turn for the better.

Corporates are warming up to the domestic game, with NetOne yesterday unveiling improved sponsorship deals for Highlanders, CAPS United and Black Rhinos.

The telecommunications giants yesterday doubled their sponsorship packages for the clubs in time for the start of the new season.

Black Rhinos received a total package of $170 000, up from the $80 000 which they got when they first entered into marriage with the company in the second half of the 2018 season.

Highlanders and CAPS United had their packages upgraded from the $350 000 they got last season, which makes NetOne one of the biggest players in domestic football.

NetOne Marketing and Public Relations Executive Eldrette Shereni said there will be individual incentives for the players to increase competition.

“We will be rewarding things like hattricks, clean sheets for a certain number of matches, the top goalscorers at an individual player level because we would want to improve the level of football and the level of competition.

“We feel that if we put that sweetener, the players themselves will improve their game and make football interesting for all of us,” said Shereni.

However, the telecommunications giants have not renewed their deal with Dynamos, who recently chalked up a juicy $1 million per season sponsorship contract with Gold Leaf Tobacco, expected to run for five years.

PSL chief executive Kennedy Ndebele yesterday said the gesture by the corporate world was a vote of confidence in the game.

“As PSL, we are excited and proud that the corporate world keeps showing confidence and support to the league and its members.

“You will realise that out of the 18 PSL clubs, the majority are supported by corporates in one way or the other.

“We believe this is a show of confidence, it is the time where we feel we are reaping rewards for being consistent, being organised and ensuring that we protect the brands that we work with.

“It’s also something that should be appreciated that our main sponsors Delta Beverages are clocking the ninth year consecutively this season,” said Ndebele.

Five sponsorship deals which directly or indirectly benefit the PSL clubs were unveiled in the last 10 days.

The league last week signed a medical insurance and funeral cover for all the 18 teams worth a whopping $1 million with Fidelity Life.

Ndebele said it can only get better as a number of clubs like FC Platinum, Ngezi Platinum Stars, Chicken Inn, Triangle, Harare City, Manica Diamonds, TelOne, and Hwange have large corporates behind them.

“We are appreciating that under these difficult economic conditions, corporates are still able to come in with some kind of motivation,” said Ndebele.