Hearts secure lottery deal

Accra, Feb. 3, GNA - Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club Limited, secured a second sponsorship deal within six days when they signed a 1.2 billion cedi yearly sponsorship deal with Asare Original Pay All Lotto Company, operators of "Original Pay All Lotto Raffle".

The contract will give the lottery company the right to use the logo of Hearts to organise a weekly lotto raffle dubbed "Hearts Special Raffle", which is expected to commence in six weeks time.

Hearts will earn 25 million cedis weekly from the lottery company when the raffle starts.

This came about after Hearts had signed a sponsorship deal with the lottery company on Wednesday at a short ceremony in Accra. The lotto company after the ceremony presented a cheque for 200, million cedis to Hearts for signing the contract.

Mr Stephen Asare, Managing Director of Asare Original Pay All underscored the need to run soccer as a business entity, whilst expressing his company's pride to be associated with the champion club. He called on the teeming supporters of the club to endeavour to patronise the raffle in order to propel the club to a world-class team.

Mr Ato Ahwoi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hearts appealed to supporters and well-wishers of the club to patronise the raffle in order to bring more revenue to the club. He said the club stands to gain more than 25 million cedis from the lottery company if the level of patronage from the supporters grows higher.

Mr Ahwoi said the club has for the past years been chalking major success without sponsorship, but said that with the level of support now coming from companies they are capable of achieving more laurels. He expressed appreciation to the company for its decision to sponsor the club.

It would be recalled that the 2004 Confederation Cup champions last week signed a 1.5 billion cedis sponsorship deal with Scancom Ghana Limited, operators of Spacefon areeba, to exhibit the logo of the communications company in front of their jerseys.