Sportpesa CEO Ronald Karauri.[Photo/the-star.co.ke]
Could SportPesa be about to make a U-turn and resume funding sports activities in the country?
It seems like the most likely scenario after the SportsPesa chief executive officer Ronald Karauri told Nation Sport on Wednesday that he will be exploring “solutions” to crises that led to his firm deciding to abandon Sh600 million worth of sponsorship deals this past week.
“We are frantically looking for solutions, I feel bad bringing the teams to this level and then just leaving them. I am in talks with some government officials for a way forward and hopefully all will be well soon,” he said.
Karauri argued that his firm was unable to pay the increased taxes put on the gaming firms by government in the beginning of 2018, and remain with enough to pump in the millions worth of sponsorship deals. He stated this before terminating the deals with among other, Football Kenya Federation, Kenya Premier League, Kenya Rugby Union, Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards and Nakuru All Stars, Karauri
With government and rival betting firms warming up to the idea of replacing SportPesa in the past few days, it seems Karauri has either softened his viewpoint, or stumbled on extra funds.
SportPesa have had discussions with officials from Gor Mahia and Leopards in the past few days according to Nation Media on the agenda that they should renew their sponsorship.
The two teams have both received about Sh100 million from SportPesa each year for the last two years.
Sports Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia confirms that the government is keen to take over from SportPesa in funding Kenyan sports.
“They (SportPesa) might have pulled out but there will be no crisis,” he said.
“We met with representatives from the affected federations and requested them to present their budgets which we will look at on a case by case basis.”