Kenya, unlock the potential in sports

The recent good show by the Harambee Starlets at the just-concluded inaugural Cecafa Womens’ Tournament is proof of one thing: Kenya is blessed with talented sports men and women who can go far in their careers and hobbies if well supported.

The national womens’ football team is just one great example. Javelin champion Julius Yego, who coached himself using YouTube is another great achiever. Kenya needs to tap all sectors of the economy to realise government’s job creation target of a million jobs annually and reduce youth unemployment. One of the fastest ways to achieve this is through supporting the sports industry.

The Sportpesa Super 8 league is a good opportunity to identify raw talent. The league, which has been in existence for about 10 years, can help create a pool of new talent to participate in future Olympics and the World Cup.

The sports industry is increasingly becoming a key contributor to the economy. In fact, it has potential of being one of the leading contributors given the right policies. Renowned athlete Lornah Kiplagat’s stadium in Iten attracts athletes from all over the world who find the facility ideal for training.

This means the stadium boosts sports tourism. The economic impact is therefore immediate for Iten businesses and long-term for industries such as tourism.

Now imagine a situation where all local games receive unequivocal support from the public. Imagine the amount of revenue that can be generated from ticket sales, to sale of merchandise and what food and drink vendors, stewards stand to gain. The revenue generation opportunity is immense, not forgetting employment opportunities.

Good for the country

The resulting effect of a vibrant sports industry would be better training grounds and gyms, the entertainment industry would get a slice of the pie through performance opportunities for artists at games, among others and sportsmen and women will be well paid.

See how celebrated Victor Wanyama is. His fans in Europe even came up with an anthem to honour him and they turn up in numbers to support his team. Locally, we are yet to get such enthusiasm from fans, but we can get there with support for various sporting disciplines and events.

Sports development is therefore fundamental for growing the fan base and converting this support into jobs and business opportunities. Sportpesa came in to support the Kenyan Premier League, which has seen the game attract more attention, with the fan base increasing per game, owing to the growing levels of visibility and player enthusiasm.

The company has also sponsored some football teams including Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards and Nakuru All Stars. Players are getting paid on time and the result is a positive trickle effect in the economy.
In some countries like the United States of America, the sports industry brings in billions of dollars in revenue. Closer home, South Africa’s 2010 World Cup proved to be a success generating millions of dollars. Kenyan marathoners, middle distance runners and African footballers flying high in Europe have proved that some of the world’s best sportsmen are from this continent. The national rugby team has also done the country proud on the global stage.
Sportpesa has partnered with international teams including Southampton, Hull City and Arsenal, which comes with the benefit of sports capacity building.

With proper support systems from both public and private sector, this is an opportunity to grow the sports industry right from the grassroot levels.

Kenya has great potential that can be commercialised to create career opportunities for the good of the country.