‘Invest in athletes’ marketing’

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
SPORTS clubs that desire to sell their athletes to better leagues have been challenged to invest in video portfolios for purposes of marketing them.

Speaking about his role as a performance analyst for Castle Lager Premier Soccer League club Ngezi Platinum Stars, Kevin Mavhunga challenged institutions to invest in equipment that will help develop and market an athlete.

Mavhunga is part of 80 participants at the high-level international sports management course organised by the Sports Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe (Sliz) in partnership with the West Virginia University that started on Wednesday and ends today in Harare.

He argued that Zimbabwe football clubs and academies were failing to sell their athletes to overseas clubs because they don’t have video clips to market them.

“Video profile is key in sport. A video enables us to analyse and see areas of strength and weakness of an athlete. I urge all agencies and clubs to have video portfolios because that is what agents and clubs outside the country need to see before inviting an athlete for further assessments,” said Mavhunga.

“Our challenge is that we don’t document our athletes’ development or progression. Serious institutions should have little libraries for their athletes. Even coaches can record their games and training sessions so that they craft programmes that will address areas where they are lagging behind. Your Arsene Wengers, Jose Mourinho and company rely on video analysis for perfection,” he said.

Professor Dennis Jones from West Virginia University is conducting the programme looking at the globalisation of sport management as an academic discipline and a science based approach to managing sport.

Jones has been sharing tips on how to incorporate the scientific perspective and models most relevant to managing sport and physical activity organisations.

Topflight clubs that sent representatives to the course include PSL championship chasing FC Platinum and Ngezi, Caps United, who are represented by one of their directors Nhamo Tutisani as well as chief executive officer Cuthbert Chitima.

Former Warriors manager Sharif Mussa, ex-Zifa board member Benedict Moyo and former Sables coach Cyprian Mandenge are also attending the programme. — @ZililoR.

 

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