MASERU — The Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) Football Club on Monday received a shot in the arm when they were given a new set of uniforms by local firm Phlyone Urbanwear.
The police club also received three types of T-shirts for their supporters.
The club however turned down one set of supporters’ T-shirts because it carried a police crown, a symbol club officials said could be used to commit criminal acts.
The club officials said they feared the T-shirts could fall into the hands of criminals and be used to commit crime with the criminals masquerading as members of the police.
“I am a bit uncomfortable with that police crown on the supporters’ T-shirts because some people might use that to commit crime by falsely identifying themselves as police officers,” Thabang Letsie, the assistant police commissioner, said.
The T-shirt has a police emblem and a soccer ball in front.
“We need to have a football or supporter’s message accompanying that crown to distinguish supporters from police officers,” Letsie said.
“It is an emblem that we do not want to see on anybody because people can misuse it.
“We want to see a (soccer) ball instead of the police emblem,” Letsie said.
The T-shirts were part of a soccer kit and caps donated by Phlyone Urbanwear.
LMPS FC communications and marketing officer, Lekholoa Mosito, thanked Phlypne Urbanwear for the gift.
“We are very thankful for the support you have shown to the team but we never expected that we could receive this huge gift,” Mosito said.
Mosito promised the new sponsors that they were going to work extra hard to win their premier league games.
“We promise that we will not do the fly home slogan; instead we are going to fly higher and make you proud to be associated with LMPS FC,” he said.
Phlyone Urbanwear managing director, Makhetha Matabane, said they decided to sponsor LMPS because of its stability.
“We have over the years established that LMPS have staying power in the premier league and because of that, we wanted to be associated with them,” Matabane said.
Matabane however told the Lesotho Times on Tuesday that he was not at liberty to disclose the details of their partnership with the police team.
“I am not in a position to divulge the details of our partnership right now because we are yet to finalise it,” Matabane said.
Police assistant commissioner administration Shekoe Sebutsoe urged Phlyone Urbanwear to consider branding pens, cups and plates for the LMPS.
