Local bank strikes deal with Arsenal

 

PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI President Kenyatta meets Media Council of Kenya chairman Joseph Odindo (left) during the World Press Freedom Day celebrations at KICC, Nairobi on May 2, 2013. With them are Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and Communication ministry PS Bitange Ndemo (right).  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By JOHN NJIRU 

Arsenal Football Club has partnered with a local bank as it seeks to strengthen its image in the regional market.

Also known as ‘The Gunners’, the English team has announced a partnership with Imperial Bank in which customers will be issued with debit cards branded with Arsenal’s logo.

Local fans will have a range of the club’s related benefits and incentives such as official Arsenal merchandise and tickets to see the team in action at the Emirates Stadium in London.

The three-year partnership will cover Kenya and Uganda where Imperial Bank has a presence.

“We are excited about this partnership. Imperial Bank and Arsenal share common values when it comes to integrity, financial sustainability and independence. We are also known for having the community at the heart of our business,” Imperial’s managing director Abdulmalek Janmohamed said.

Included in the agreement, Arsenal Soccer School’s coaches will be visiting Kenya and Uganda during the partnership period to run coaching clinics on behalf of Imperial Bank.

Also in the offing is the promotion of grassroots football with the aim of forming a junior team.