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LaLiga’s RC Celta Vigo partners with the Maldives for tourism promotion and youth development
LaLiga club RC Celta Vigo (@RCCeltaEN) have agreed a significant and innovative commercial partnership with the Maldives, which will help promote the Indian Ocean country as a tourist destination to LaLiga’s global audience, while strengthening the development of football on the islands.
The sponsorship deal worth around €2.5 million to RC Celtaover the next three years was formally signed in Vigo on Monday, at an event attended by club president Carlos Mouriño, Maldives Minister for Tourism Ali Waheed, and former RC Celta, Real Madrid and Spain player Michel Salgado.
RC Celta’s current players including Spain international Iago Aspas and team captain Hugo Mallo will wear the phrase ‘Maldives – the sunny side of life’ on the left sleeve of their jerseys while playing all LaLiga and Copa del Rey games – starting with next Saturday’s trip to Barcelona to take on Lionel Messi’s current LaLiga leaders.
The phrase will also be displayed prominently on both the team’s bus and around the club’s Abanca Balaidos Stadium.
“We are a small country, but we dream big, and we hope that in future our youth can benefit from this big step,” Maldives Tourism minister Ali Waheed said at Abanca Balaidos Stadium on Monday.
“This is a historic day for my country – we love football in the Maldives and this agreement will promote tourism and also strengthen football in our country. RC Celta is a club we believe in due to its philosophy and youth policy.”
RC Celta are to receive US$ 900,000 per year [US$ 2.7 million in total] during the three year partnership, which will promote the Maldives to viewers of LaLiga games in Europe, India and China, via TV audience and Facebook.
The first such agreement between a country and a LaLiga club will see emerging players from the Maldives train at RC Celta’s academy at A Madroa, while coaches and officials will receive support aimed at developing football in the archipelago.
There will also be friendly games scheduled between RC Celta and the Maldives’ national teams.
“For us at RC Celta it is an honour and enormous satisfaction that we have been chosen to promote the beauty of these islands,” RC Celta president Mouriño said. “One part of this is to promote tourism in the Maldives, and another is the development of football in the country.
We hope to collaborate very closely with them. We know we are considered as one of the best ‘cantera’ youth systems, and not just in Spain. These kids will be able to develop in a very proven system, which has borne fruit.”
A Maldives delegation also including Minister of State for Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ashad Ali and Football Association of Maldives president Bassam Adeel Jaleel attended RC Celta’s narrow 0-1 LaLiga Santander defeat to in-form Getafe at Abanca Balaidos Stadium on Sunday.
The following day’s signing ceremony of the innovative partnership was attended by international media and broadcast live on national TV in the island country.
The commercial deal is also important for RC Celta, and a sign of the innovative steps being made off the pitch by many LaLiga clubs. RC Celta’s revenues for the 2017/18 season were €76.6 million – of which €6.1 million came from sponsorship and advertising.
Among the club’s existing 13 commercial partners are kit supplier Adidas, Galicia’s biggest brewery Estrella Galicia, and financial institution Abanca.
“Our relationships have evolved from basic sponsorships or advertising agreements into multi-faceted partnerships,” says RC Celta’s Commercial Director Carlos Salvador.
“This has led to double-digit revenue growth in recent years. For example, with Abanca, besides the naming of the stadium and presence on the kit and elsewhere, our club members can renew their season tickets via ATM machines in just two minutes.
There are constant synergies with Estrella Galicia, as RC Celta Group also has hospitality businesses. With the Maldives, besides promoting the tourist destination, above all in China, India and the UAE, we will be working together closely for the development of youth and elite football in the country. Our reputation for youth development helped a lot in all this.”
RC Celta will also benefit from the Maldives deal by having a greater commercial presence in Asia, Salvador says. “Our partners are very important for the growth and expansion of RC Celta on a global level,” he says.
“In the case of the Maldives deal, it will help in India and China, both strategic territories for the club. The presence and support of La Liga Santander in these countries is also vital for us, for example that India fans can follow LaLiga via Facebook is a big advantage.”
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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Family Marks one-year Memorial of Late APC Chieftain, Ojougboh with Charity Outreach
By Ikenna Oluka
The family of the late chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, led by his wife, Mrs. Bose Ojougboh, marked his one-year memorial anniversary with a series of charitable initiatives aimed at honoring his legacy of philanthropy and service to society.
The memorial activities included the donation of school books and bags to pupils of Erigbe Primary School, in Agbor within the Ika South Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State, where Dr. Ojougboh had received his early education.
The outreach also included extension of financial assistance to patients at Central Hospital, Agbor, and the provision of toiletries, cash, and food items to children at the Salve Regina Children’s Home, Agbor.
The outreach was carried out under the ‘Dr. Cairo Ojougboh Foundation’, a family-led initiative established to immortalise him and continue his lifelong commitment to education, healthcare, and social welfare.
Speaking during the event which took place recently, Mrs. Ojougboh reaffirmed the family’s dedication to sustaining the ideals of the late APC chieftain, describing him as a man who strongly believed in education and giving back to society.
“We are here to celebrate the life of my husband, Late Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, who passed on a year ago. In his honour, we decided to give back to society. He was a man who valued education and was always willing to help others. It is only fitting that we continue his legacy through acts of generosity,” she stated.
Honouring his passion for education
The first visit was to Erigbe Primary School, where Dr. Ojougboh had received his early education. The Foundation distributed school bags, writing materials, and food packs to the pupils. The family encouraged the pupils to take their education seriously and strive to become responsible citizens.
Supporting patients at Central Hospital, Agbor
At Central Hospital, Agbor, Mrs. Ojougboh and her entourage moved through the medical wards, offering financial support to patients to assist with their treatment costs. The hospital staff and beneficiaries responded with prayers and words of gratitude for the kind gesture.
Reaching out to orphaned children
The outreach team also visited Salve Regina Children’s Home in Agbor where they donated cash, food items, and toiletries to the children.
The Matron of the home expressed her deep appreciation to the Ojougboh family, commending their commitment to sustaining the late politician’s legacy of compassion and social impact.
Dr. Cairo Ojougboh’s enduring legacy
Reflecting on her late husband’s contributions to society, Mrs. Ojougboh emphasised that his legacy of generosity and service to humanity would not be forgotten.
“Dr. Cairo was a selfless man who touched many lives. His contributions to the Nigerian political landscape, his mark in Agbor Kingdom, Delta State, and the country at large, will always be remembered. He may be gone, but his impact will continue to be felt for generations,” she said.
The Dr. Cairo Ojougboh Foundation has pledged to continue supporting education, healthcare, and social welfare initiatives in his memory, ensuring that his vision for a better society lives on.
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