FAPI MOTORS SPONSOR’S THE PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB

Dingli Swallows FC announced the new local and international signings for their BOV Premier League debut, while reconfirming their main sponsor for another season.

For the last three years, the team has been riding the crest of success, obtaining the Championship of the Second Division, the Championship of the First Division and promotion to the Premier League, winning the First Division Knockout in one year, and making it to the finals in a second.

These feats had never before been achieved in Dingli FC’s 61-year history. On Wednesday, during a press conference, the club announced that its mission for the 2009/2010 season is to continue in this positive direction by maintaining its place in the Premiership. The conference was held at the Fapi Motors Showroom, in Attard.

The club’s committee announced the re-confirmation of first team coach Jesmond Zammit.  He will be supported by an experienced technical team, which includes Kevin Asciak (also Youth Coach), Reginald Cini (Team Manager and Gaolkeeper’s Coach) and former players Jason Cachia and Bruce Genovese.

In the absence of the Club Secretary, Dingli FC Vice President Mark Chetcuti introduced the club’s new signings – Ivan Cassar (from Hibernians FC), Dino Cachia (Msida St Joseph), Shawn Tellus (Marsaxlokk FC), Matthew Borg (Qormi FC), Justin Muscat and Dylan Zarb (Valletta FC), Roderick Briffa (St Patricks FC) and Kevin Borg (Hamrun Spartans).
The club also secured the services of Chris Muscat (Rabat Ajax) and Clint Caruana (Sliema Wanderers) for another year, whilst Roderick Spiteri , Kurt Formosa and Chris Azzopardi (latter on option) will now be joining the other members of the squad as permanent signings.

Dingli Swallows also signed three foreign players – Brazilian defender Renato Garcia Conceicao, compatriot midfielder Andre Rocha da Silva, and Nigerian striker Joseph Okonkwu. In the meantime, the club also signed long serving striker Haruna Doda, who has just obtained Maltese citizenship, to compliment the team with his wealth of experience in Maltese football.

Chetcuti also thanked Famalco Group, the official sponsors of the club, as well as Kwik Mix Limited, Sullivan Maritime, SVS Leisure, Poligas and Errea.

The club’s second ambition for this season is the completion of the sports complex at the Dingli Football Grounds. All efforts are being made to ensure that the pitch is made available for training purposes by the end of December 2009. The Vice President thanked the Malta Football Association, the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs, David Vassallo (the project’s architect), and other contributors, who are helping out on this development.

Club Coach Jesmond Zammit thanked the President and the Committee for re-confirming him for this season, giving him the opportunity to coach a Premier League side for the first time. The Coach also thanked the members of the technical team for their continuous support and assistance. Zammit said that the Club has a squad of over 23 players with a right mix of youth and experience, which should hopefully ensure the club’s bid to remain in the Premiership.

During the same conference, Dingli Swallows re-confirmed Proton as their main sponsor for the 2009/2010 season. The sponsorship agreement was signed with Famalco Group, the authorised local dealers of Proton cars.

“Through this sponsorship agreement, Famalco Group is confirming its support to local sports, as it has done in previous years. We strongly believe in the importance of local businesses’ contribution to the development of local sports and today’s agreement will surely not be our last,” a spokesperson said.

Proton and Famalco Group have been the official sponsors of Dingli Swallows for the last four years. Fapi Motors Ltd, a member of the Famalco Group, are the authorised dealers of Proton cars in Malta.