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Sports face tough times over sponsorship withdrawal

Gor Mahia team celebrates after winning their Kenya Premier League title at Kenyatta Stadium Machakos on Saturday 25/05/19. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

With less than a year to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan and busy continental schedule for national football team Harambee Stars, Gor Mahia and Bandari and some sports federations are in a tricky position due to imminent withdrawal of sponsorships by betting companies.

SportPesa, Betway, Betpawa and Betin have contributed Sh5 billion in sponsorship to various sports events including football, rugby, boxing, rally and athletics in the last two years with football tipped to be the biggest casualty of the fallout between the government and the gaming industry.

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