Wednesday, 10 March 2004

NBC sponsors Bakhresa for Mombasa Rally

The National Bank of Commerce Ltd today announced a 23, 000 US dollar sponsorship for local motor rally driver, Omar Said Bakhresa, who is scheduled to participate in an international motor rally this coming weekend in Mombasa, Kenya.

 

The one-year sponsorship covers the Mombasa Rally and nine other local rallies to be held in Tanzania later this year, according to NBC Corporate Affairs and Communications Manager, Maxwell Pirikisi.

 

The Mombasa Rally, which is sanctioned by the world rally governing body (FIA), will be the first international exposure for Bakhresa, a veteran top driver who has won numerous rallies in the local scene. Bakhresa is driving a Subaru Impreza navigated by Maisam Fazal.

 

Two more Tanzanian drivers based in Tanga are taking part in the three-day rally that begins on Friday and ends on Sunday in the Kenyan Coastal town. The rally has attracted 45 entries, 15 of them Kenyans.

 

Speaking at a brief ceremony to handover rally gears from the bank today in Dar es Salaam, Maxwell said the sponsorship was part of NBC's commitment to sports development in Tanzania as well as other social sectors.

 

"The bank has watched with interest the growing awareness and interest of Tanzanians in the motor rallies especially in the past three years and this sponsorship is a response to the people's desire to see the development of the sport," he said.

 

The rally sponsorship comes barely a year after a 25m/- annual sponsorship for Simba Sports Club by NBC Ltd last year, which made it the first bank in the country to venture into corporate soccer sponsorship. NBC is jointly owned by Absa with 55 per cent shares, IFC with 15 per cent and the government of Tanzania which controls 30 per cent shares.

 

Other sectors that have enjoyed the support of NBC include community health programmes in which, according to Pirikisi, NBC has donated four fully equipped mobile clinics valued at more than 210,000 US and other medical equipment worth millions of shillings in the past three years.

 

Saying his car has all that it takes for a professional motor rally, Bakhresa said he was optimistic of doing well in the Mombasa Rally, which he described as a stepping stone towards his planned future participation in bigger international rallies.