MTN Uganda has today announced the renewal of its sponsorship of the Arua-based Onduparaka FC to a tune of Ushs300m. The renewal of the contract will see MTN become the title merchandise partner on all the Onduparaka FC kits for the 2019/2020 season.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Martin Sebuliba who represented the MTN Uganda CEO Mr. Wim Vanhelleputte, said “We’re thrilled to have renewed our sponsorship with Onduparaka FC. Onduparaka’s consistency, fan base and success in the Uganda Premier League (UPL) remains attractive for our sponsorship package. It was an easy decision for us to renew the sponsorship and become the merchandise sponsors,” said MTN Senior Manager Brand and Communications,

The MTN Uganda logo will feature on all the kits of Onduparaka FC. Additionally, MTN will also get content and image rights for players and also get rights to brand at both home and away games. This will bring the total sponsorship for Onduparaka FC since the 2017/18 season to Ushs 690m. In total, MTN will spend about Ushs1.9bn on football club sponsorship by end of the next football season in the Uganda Premier League.

“As a brand, Onduparaka will give us the exposure we need and in turn we will be contributing towards the growth and development of the football club. This will be the first time the MTN Logo will appear at the front of a football kit in the 20-year history in Uganda. MTN’s commitment to sport also continues in athletics through the MTN Marathon Season and the sports facility, MTN Arena in Lugogo,” Sebuliba added.

Onduparaka players in their new kit

In the past MTN Uganda has sponsored the Uganda Cranes national teams in football and cricket, a club in the national rugby league and the National Basketball League. In the last season, MTN also engaged fans through the award of Fan’s man of the match for both Onduparaka FC and KCCA FC. This enabled the club fans on Facebook and Twitter to connect to Ugandan football.

Based nearly 500kms from the capital Kampala, Onduparaka is currently in the top four of the Uganda Premier League.

Onduparaka FC Chairman Benjamin Nyakuni noted that the sponsorship will continue to enable the club to keep growing and meet some of its financial obligations.

“Onduparaka FC would not enjoy this much success without the generous support MTN has provided to us throughout. We deeply appreciate the willingness with which MTN has and continues to sponsor our efforts towards making our region proud and supporting young people to attain their highest potential through the beautiful game. We thank MTN for having faith in us and seeing the value in associating with the Onduparaka FC brand. We sincerely hope that this association will be maintained in our future endeavours”.

The Patron Onduparaka FC, also Ayivu County Member of Parliament, Honourable Bernard Atiku said, “Onduparaka Football Club has achieved tremendous success against all odds. There were sceptics who thought that we would never become a giant, but we proved them all wrong. Today we pride ourselves as having the biggest sporting brand in the country and aspiring to be one of the biggest in East Africa.”

Further, “One of our long-term objectives is to become a truly continental brand. Forging ties with MTN and their reputation for bringing unmatched technology to sports and innovative marketing takes us a step closer to our goals. We commend MTN for having had the foresight in joining forces with us and thereby making a meaningful contribution in the development of soccer.”

Onduparaka FC unveiled the new jersey for the 2019/2020 season, ahead of their Uganda Super League tie with Matugga based Bright Stars FC.