STANDARD Chartered Bank (Stanchart) will today host a five-a-side football tournament dubbed Road to Anfield 2015, for 24 local teams with the winning team getting a lifetime chance to travel to English Premiership side Liverpool.
BY HENRY MHARA
The participating teams were drawn from the bank’s potential and existing clients in its various business segments — the commercial, corporate and institutional and retail clients.
Some of the companies that are set to compete include Innscor Africa, Zimpost, OK Zimbabwe, Dairibord Zimbabwe, NFB Logistics, Securico, Gateway Primary, Lomagundi College, Transerve, Freightworld, GroupAir and Premier Tobacco. The winner of today’s tournament, which the bank is hosting at its sports club in the capital, will qualify to represent the country at a regional final to be held in Zambia on March 21.
At the regional finals, the Zimbabwe winner will compete with representatives from the host country and Botswana, with the champion progressing to represent the Southern Africa at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium on May 8, where a total 10 teams from across the Standard Chartered Group will tussle it out for the Standard Chartered Trophy.
“This tournament provides Standard Chartered Bank with a platform from which to actively engage its clients and staff who are football fans. It is also an opportunity for Stanchart to reinforce its partnership with Liverpool FC and generate direct benefits to the businesses. This is the first time that Stanchart Zimbabwe is running the tournament, although the group has been running it for 4 years,” said the bank’s head of corporate affairs Lillian Hapanyengwi.
The team that will travel to Anfield, fully sponsored by the bank, will also get a lifetime opportunity to meet with Liverpool’s former players and coaches.
“The teams that will attend will receive a professional training session with Liverpool FC legends and coaches to help them prepare for the final tournament. The winning team will receive the Standard Chartered Trophy,” said Hapanyengwi.
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There are also prizes to be won at today’s tournament with the Player of the Tournament, Goalkeeper of the Tournament, Top Goalscorer and the Scorer of the Fastest Goal of the Tournament all set to walk away with signed Liverpool replica shirts.
Stanchart Zimbabwe chief executive officer Ralph Watungwa said: “The Standard Chartered Trophy is hinged on the bank’s Liverpool FC sponsorship.
While it has been running in various Standard Chartered markets for more than three years and has grown very popular, it is the first time it is being held in Zimbabwe. We are very excited to host this fun-filled interactive campaign for the first time in Zimbabwe for our stakeholders.”
