SRVL appeals for Sponsorship as competition continues to grow

The Southern Region Volleyball League (SRVL) is making an urgent appeal for sponsorship support as the competition continues to expand, with defending champions Thunders (men’s) and Gemz (women’s) leading their respective categories in the ongoing 2024/25 season.

SRVL Chairperson Ambilike Mwaungulu has revealed that despite impressive growth in participation, the league faces significant financial constraints that threaten to limit its potential impact on volleyball development across the region.

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The current season has seen substantial expansion, with men’s teams increasing from 12 to 16 compared to the previous edition, while women’s participation has grown from 7 to 9 teams.

However, Mwaungulu disclosed that even more teams could have participated if not for financial barriers.

“We would have had more men’s teams but some pulled out after having qualified at zone level due to travel costs,” the chairperson explained, highlighting how financial constraints are already affecting the league’s growth trajectory.

With team registration fees set at just K40,000 per team, the league struggles to cover essential operational costs. Mwaungulu outlined the numerous expenses that sponsorship could address:
“We need sponsors so that we are able to prepare venues, transport referees, buy equipment for the league, pay referees’ perdiem, transport and engage the media, and many more logistical arrangements apart from prize money, medals and trophies.”

The low registration fees, while keeping the league accessible to participating institutions, leave significant funding gaps that affect the quality and reach of the competition.

The SRVL’s composition, heavily featuring university and security formation teams, creates distinct operational challenges that require flexible scheduling and understanding from sponsors. Security institutions may be called to national duty after fixtures are scheduled, while university teams can only participate when their institutions are in session.

“We cannot have all the teams available at once all the time. It is our normal situation,” Mwaungulu noted, explaining why the league schedules matches over extended periods to accommodate all participants.

Beyond financial constraints, the league faces quality challenges, particularly with officiating. “We have very very few qualified referees, so quality officiation is minimal,” Mwaungulu revealed, indicating that sponsorship could help address training and development needs for match officials.

Resource scarcity, including fuel shortages, has also led to fixture rescheduling, further emphasizing the need for reliable financial backing.

While the league currently guarantees medals and trophies for winners, plans for more substantial grand prizes remain dependent on securing sponsorship partnerships. “We are still engaging some individuals and institutions that can partner us as sponsors for that. So when successful, we shall tell the grand prizes,” Mwaungulu stated.

Current Season Competition Heating Up

Despite the challenges, the 2024/25 season continues to provide exciting competition. In the men’s category, defending champions Thunders currently lead the standings, while women’s defending champions Gemz maintain their position at the top of their division.

The competitive balance across all six zones demonstrates the league’s success in developing volleyball talent region-wide, making it an attractive proposition for potential sponsors seeking broad community impact.

Mwaungulu made a passionate appeal to potential sponsors, describing the league’s resuscitation efforts: “We appeal to potential partners to come and help grow SRV League again. Help to awaken the giant that had gone to sleep a couple of years back. Resuscitation efforts are at an advanced level but we need partners, sponsors to complete the picture.”

The chairperson emphasized that the league already has “superb structures cutting across all volleyball zones covering all districts of the southern Region of Malawi,” indicating that the foundation for growth is solid and requires only financial support to reach its full potential.