GP extends sponsorship of nat’l cricket teams

Leading cellular phone operator of the country Grameenphone Limited (GP) retained the national cricket team’s sponsorship rights for the next two years at a cost of record Tk 10 crore, this was announced on Thursday.
One of the significant changes in the new deal is that this time the national women’s cricket team has also been included in it alongside the men’s team.
The BCB will receive Tk. 9 crore from GP in royalty fee while Tk. 1 crore will be dedicated to travel kits, travel clothing etc. The sponsorship period has already started from December 1.
GP has been the national team sponsor since 2003. The last tenure was expired on October 31 which the GP bought Tk. 6 crore and 15 lakh. The sponsorship contract was extended later till November 15 due to the ongoing Bangladesh-Zimbabwe ODI series.
 “We view our relationship with GP as a friendship. By coming forward to sponsor the national team once again GP has given a shining example of its passion and commitment towards Bangladesh cricket. This is also a positive statement for the growing value of the national team (the previous two-year deal from 2007-2009 was worth Tk. 6 crore and 15 lakh) and with a partner like GP, I am sure we can dream of successes ahead,” said BCB’s chairman marketing & commercial committee Aziz Al Kaiser Titu in a formal press conference at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
 “We have incorporated the sponsorship of the women’s national team also under this deal and this also is a unique development and augers well for the women cricketers of the country,” he added.
GP’s chief communication officer Kazi Monirul Kabir said passion was the driving force behind continuing the patronisation of the national team.
“The Bangladesh cricket team is a symbol of national pride and it our privilege to be a part of that national passion. Our association is part of commercial and part of emotional.”
BCB’s media & communications committee chairman Mohammed Jalal Yunus and GP’s head of PR Syed Talat Kamal were also present at the media briefing.
After the expiring of the contract with GP, the BCB invited tenders from interested parties for the sponsorship setting the floor price Tk. 12 crore. GP and Axiom technologies bought the tender but only GP submitted it and was eager to pay an amount of Tk. 6 crore and 75 lakh which they raised to Tk. 10 crore at last after a successful negotiation with the cricket apex body.
Meanwhile, the sponsor for the upcoming Tri-nation tournament involving hosts Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka will be announced very soon and GP is likely to be the sponsor of the tournament as well. Though there was no direct announcement about that, marketing and commercial committee chairman indicated this.