Central African country Chad Republic is struggling "to cope with regional insecurity caused by Islamist militant group Boko Haram," but the country's sports ministry hopes a shirt sponsorship of Ligue 1 side Metz "can help in starting to mend its image problem and kickstart its tourism sector," according to Yomi Kazeem of QUARTZ AFRICA. The sponsorship, which will run for three years, will have "TChad: Oasis du Sahel" (Chad: Oasis of the Sahel) inscribed on the Metz jerseys. Chad Sports Minister Betel Miarom said that the sponsorship could help the country's need to "erase" its "negative image." Long-term, Miarom hopes the partnership "will go well beyond the football" as well as "intensify the economic ties" between Chad and France. Chad’s sponsorship of Metz "fits in the wider narrative of African entities getting more involved in the continent’s most popular sport on a global level." Last month, SportPesa, a Kenyan betting firm, signed on as sponsors of Premier League side Hull City. The club described the deal as "the most lucrative in its history." The Chad sponsorship has "also predictably raised questions about the lack of funding of local football," with another comment saying the “money could have been spent on developing our own soccer instead of promoting others.” Like Chad’s deal with Metz, SportPesa’s decision to sponsor a foreign club "drew criticism locally" (QUARTZ AFRICA, 8/31).
