Gor Mahia provides a lot of positives for the country
One of the activities that every organization must perform is public relations. This is especially true for an organization like Gor Mahia. Away from the field, there is very little positive news as the media spotlight almost always shines on the negative. With the media and much of the public dwelling on the negative, it is incumbent upon club officials and fans to shine a light on the positives that Gor Mahia provides to this country. Let us take a look at some :
Gor Mahia provides gainful Employment
At any point in time, Gor Mahia provides gainful employment to at least 25 players. This is especially important in a country where the youth unemployment rate is 60%. Gainful employment keeps youth busy with positive activities and away from crime. The young players are also taught life lessons such as investing for a future when they can no longer play football. In addition, Gor Mahia also employes coaches, assistant coaches and other officials.
Gor Mahia brings colour to the premier league
The vast majority of Gor Mahia fans are peaceful and are mostly interested in cheering the team and creating an electric atmosphere. Gor mahia fans are the most exhuberant and provide many interesting story-lines which makes the Kenya premier league more exciting. Having exhuberant fans is a good advertisement for the Kenya premier league. KPL matches are televised all over Africa. When matches are televised and show empty stadiums, it makes it harder to get a TV audience. No one is interested a match played to an empty stadium. On the other hand a colourful and exuberant atmosphere makes attracts more television viewers. Because of this, KPL can sell television rights to Supersport at a higher rate. One can therefore conclude that Gor Mahia is the most important booster to the financial fortunes of the Kenya Premier league.
Gor Mahia is a tourist attraction
Because Gor Mahia fans create such an electric atmosphere, the Kenya Tourism board has been recommending to tourists that they attend matches involving Gor Mahia if they want to get a taste of a Kenyan stadium atmosphere. As a result it is not uncommon to find tourists at Gor Mahia matches such as this group from Australia.
Gor Mahia puts money in the coffers of every team
Any team that hosts Gor Mahia is almost always guaranteed to raise Ksh 1 million in gate collections. This is because Gor Mahia fans travel in droves. And in fact for some teams, hosting Gor Mahia is one of the most important events in any season because it helps them meet salary arrears.
Aside from the teams, local authorities who own the stadium also eagerly await a visit from Gor Mahia because such a visit can pay their stadium maintenance bills for several months.
Businessmen / Vendors depend on Gor Mahia
As has been mentioned above, Gor mahia fans travel in droves. When the team travels to places like Machakos, Thika, Mombasa or Nakuru, it is always a bonanza for local businessmen including street vendors, taxi drivers, restaurant owners, hotel owners, matatu owners etc. For these businessmen, the annual or bi-annual visit of Gor Mahia to town is one of the most important events.
Gor Mahia moulds the youth
Gor Mahia is one of only two or three teams in the KPL that has a youth team. As has been noted above, sports is a good way to keep youth in positive activities and away from idleness that leads to crime and drugs.
From a football perspective, exposing players to good coaching at a younger age increases the chances that they will be better footballers. The fundamentals of football and tactical awareness are best learned at a young age. Some of these youth players will therefore be good enough to play in the KPL. One or two may even become good enough to play in Europe. One of the reasons why Kenya players perennially fail when they attend trials in Europe is precisly because they never learned the fundamentals at a younger age.
Youth teams that are run by clubs are the backbone of any successful national team. Spain won the world cup in 2010 largely thanks to players groomed at Barcelona’s youth team. The Tanzanian national team that recently beat Kenya had half of their players from the youth team of Azam FC.
Gor Mahia gives players of all backgrounds and ethnicities a chance
Gor Mahia is always one of the most diverse teams. Over the past 5 years, the team has fielded players from virtually every province in Kenya and every major ethnicity. Players with names like Makori, Kitawi, Kiplagat, Masika, Ongwae, Hadji Mwachoki, Pablo Njuguna, Chris Wekesa, Lavatsa, Kiongera, Anthony Gathu, Mosoti, Kariuki, Musa Mohamed, Shaban Kenga, Rama Salim, Bataro, Mutiso, Wanyonyi, Shakava and others have all found a home at Gor Mahia. That list represents almost every major ethnicity in Kenya be it Kisii, Kamba, Kalenjin, Maragoli, Bukusu, Kikuyu, Nubians, Giriama, Taita, Idakho, Swahili, Somali etc. You name it and you will find that they have played at Gor Mahia. The same applies to the fan base because Gor Mahia has staunch supporters in every province in Kenya.
Even Abdimalik Mohamed, a Somali player from Isiolo played for Gor Mahia and used that platform to get trials in Sweden and the Middle East.
Some like Makori were plucked from virtual obscurity in rural areas. Others like Anthony Gathu were given a chance at Gor Mahia when no one else gave them a chance and with the exposure they got, they were able to succeed at other teams.
Charitable work by Gor Mahia fans
Most media reports about Gor Mahia fans typically focus on the negative. Yet Gor Mahia fans are actively involved in Charitable work. Every year, the Gor Mahia fans foundation visits children at the Kenyatta national hospital and lifts their spirits by bringing them gifts. And if you were ever hospitalized as a child you probably know how such a visit can bring cheer.
Gor Mahia fans also participate in other charitable events such as the annual Stanchart marathon which Gor Mahia fans attended and brought colour by running in tandem and singing.
Sponsors and media open your eyes
With Gor Mahia fans and players involved in so many positive activities, there is an opportunity for a sponsor to gain some good public relations by being associated with an organization that is doing plenty of good for the society at large. An astute sponsor will partner with fans of goodwill as well as players and officials to engage in positive public relations activities. For example tourists who attend Gor Mahia matches could be pictured in jerseys with the sponsor name and logo. A sponsor can partner with the U19 team to perform training clinics in places like Kibera. Or partner with fans who are performing charitable activities. The point is that the options for good public relations are infinite.
As for the media, its time they realized that there is a lot more to Gor Mahia that they are not covering. Club officials and fans must also take it upon themselves to highlight what is good about Gor Mahia. And there is plenty of that.
I just like this. Kudos to the publisher and lets keep on praying we get a sponsor soonest for our lovely Mighty K’Ogalo.
This is a masterpiece.This is why we need to professionalise the management of our team.The P.R .department should be countering the media which resorts to highlighting non essentials, exalting evil instead of promoting the efforts of Gor Mahia.Bravo to RADIO RAMOGI……….AND RADIO JAMBO.
We are in the most difficult moment in the history of the club. Let us support the EC in their efforts to find a lasting solution. I appeal to KPL to move with speed in solving the KRA issue.
good piece but even better it’s all true… wearing the mpesa lipa bill number is the best thing ever. soon this will be the best known paybill number in the country. it’s my belief that a sponsor will jump in soon. kizuri chajiuza. but i am against fans wearing fake brands in the name of supporting the club. whoever is doing this is a thief and a half. gor mahia cannot get income from these fake brand coz adidas would sue them to the last drop of coin. i appeal to fans to stop buying these fake shirts. and gor plz where is ur business arm so that those of us who have alternatives might come up with better arrangements. if any of you guys know then pls give advice.
Am very much proud with the editor,you’ve substantiated it to the simplest molecule ever.
Good stuff….
You have given all of us a mention. Good work.
@dinga : wearing of fake jerseys.Tell me does our club even av accredited persons to sell the jerseys and other club’s merchandise.? Hawkers r making a kill out of our brand.Let us av reknown outlets to do so.
WOW,wow kudos editor wish everybody would read this.
Tell them, tell them so that they know & let them duel also on the positives when talking about Gor Mahia.All witchhaunt will collapse.
This is very excellent article by the admn.let the world know that there is more good than harm in Gor mahia! Let me advice there-would-be sponsors that working with suGor is a win win situation for both parties if u come on board.pliz guys lets continue supporting the team by putting something on the playbill no.As for theplayers if u ever get chance to read this article know that u r heroes! U have managed to rise above everything facing our dear club. May God bless u and our club.
well put mr/miss/mrs editor, such brains are exclusively gor mahia. now the next level should be to put such a piece in public forum where the larger public can access it for they need this information more than us who religiously visit this site, perhaps posters, fliers, media etc. indeed this needs to be highlighted the soonest possible
i wish i could share this on my facebook timeline
The best article so far. kudos for this Gor pod pek
lets keep the good deeds and continue to focus on the positives. let the media blow volumes of how bad Gor is but all i know is that football ls an emotional game and thats the fun of it all. imagine if fans were to go to matches quiet, no songs and etc, we could not even manage to win more fans. that electrified support does it all. my only request is those hooligans hiding under the banner of gor fans should leave us alone cos they are not part of us. they only come for their selfish gains. i pray that we get sponsors soon and the office should update us on the progress.thats why we chose u guys. by the way before the media stains gor name, they shud research and let the world know what happens during big matches like real, barca, man u, arsenal, bayern etc. they will learn its more emotional there.
thanks
@Tom Ochieng: thats why Gor needs a business arm we can deal with.
Great piece of article….thanks Administrator for the job well done. I will continue to be part of these Gor Mahia initiatives.
Keep it up.
This article need to be published in the the four print out daily papers and should be aired live by the electronic media houses.
This should be the work of the organising secretary.
Great stuff.Si semi kitu!
This is a great piece bwana Admin.I am very Proud to be life Kogallo disciple.
For God and my beloved club – Kogallo
Very good and can we have more of this type of thing, perhaps someone will see sense and just say this is the team to support. Lets meanwhile continue with 350100,how much so far?
goodstuff green movement… #teamWANGARIMAATHAI goodstuff
We need to share this far and wide, to show the world that Gor Mahia as a club is involved in many positive activities. Thank you very much the one who published this article. GOD Bless GOR.
i like this masterpiece of work.kudos for a job well done.let’s continue supporting this great team,always in prayers.let sofapaka boycott the match as they have started mindgames.
Great article admin. Kudos
great brain at work keep it up addmin.
Excellent.I like the author for the good work.Keep it up.
where is the piece for security? or goons for higher?
This is just good – we need alittle bit of fan education and all the negatives will be turned into positivitiez:
Good piece,admin,do more of this on the dailies,facebook and twitter.
kudos to Gor.You’ve got a leverage over the rest…