SMME NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE

SPORT
September 2018
22nd issue September 2018
Athletes empowered with business skills
Athletes plying their trades in different sporting codes
Former footballers during the ASPC African Sports Forum. From (L-R) Morgan Gould, Macbeth Sibaya, Siyabonga Nkosi and
Delron Buckley.
Marvellous Zondi & Anele Gumede
Up and coming athletes
participating in different
sporting codes were
capacitated on various issues that
they will be faced with when their
careers start to blossom. This was
during a series of informative sessions
at the first annual ASPC African
Sports Forum held at Moses Mabhida
Stadium on 06 – 07 September 2018.
This gathering was hosted by the
Association of Sport Performance
SMME Staff Reporter
The Comrades Marathon Association
(CMA) has confirmed that entries for
the 2019 Comrades Marathon will be
opening on Friday, 19 October 2018.
CMA Marketing Manager, Thami
Centres (ASPC) in partnership with
the KwaZulu-Natal Department of
Sport and Recreation and eThekwini
Municipality. This was for the first
time that the forum came to Africa
and is a direct result of discussions
initiated at the 10th International
Forum on Elite Sport that was held
in Durban last year. In August 2017,
Durban hosted the 10th International
Forum on Elite Sport which was a
resounding success, receiving praise
from the international sporting
community and generating more than
Vilakazi said, “We are well aware that
many Comrades Marathon runners
are focused on getting their entry into
next year’s race and we are pleased to
announce the opening date for entries
for the 2019 event.”
Next year’s Comrades Marathon will
R20 million in revenue for the Durban
economy.
Speaking before the event, the
MEC for Arts, Culture, Sport and
Recreation, Bongi Sithole-Moloi said,
“We are excited to be part of the ASPC
Continental Forum which brings
together sports leaders, administrators,
coaches and athletes from throughout
Africa to discuss best practices and
a wide range of sports-related topics.
This Forum will leave a lasting legacy
for our Province as lessons learned will
inform our plans to develop podium
be the 94th running of the world’s
oldest and most famous ultramarathon.
In line with its alternating
Up Run and Down Run tradition, next
year’s event will be the 48th Comrades
Up Run.
Vilakazi has advised that the qualifying
athletes, utilising African developed
solutions”
Moloi further said that sports
practitioners from KwaZulu-Natal,
including those from disadvantaged
communities, are having an
opportunity to learn from their peers
from the continent and this will augur
well for our development initiatives.
“As a Province, we want to ensure that
our previously disadvantaged sports
practitioners are empowered and
given the opportunities to excel at the
highest of levels. More experienced
coaches allow us to develop more elite
athletes,” further stated the MEC.
As part of the proceedings during this
event, there were various breakaway
sessions where industry experts
imparted their skills and knowledge to
the budding athletes. Among these was
a session held by Durban Chamber
where former football players,
Siyabonga Nkosi, Macbeth Sibaya,
period for the 2019 Up Run is 26
August 2018 to 2 May 2019. He also
said that, “All details relating to entries
for the 2019 Comrades Marathon will
be announced at the 2019 Comrades
Marathon Race Launch to be held on
Thursday, 11 October 2018 – Watch
Morgan Gould and Delron Buckley
shared their life stories as professionals
and highlighted the hardships that
come with being a professional
athletes.
Durban Chamber President, Musa
Makhunga said that the Durban
Chamber is committed to building
business skills and knowledge in
entrepreneurs.
“Athletes are businesses in and
of themselves. One athlete can
support up to seven jobs in terms
of administrators, trainers, coaches,
nutritional specialists and others. By
empowering them with business skills,
we will give athletes the opportunity to
build their personal brands, leverage
them for present and residual income,
and allow them to explore alternative
business and career options outside of
sport,” said Makhunga
Opening date for 2019 Comrades marathon announced
This Space.”
The 2019 Comrades Marathon will be
held on Sunday, 9 June 2019, starting
at the Durban City Hall at 5h30 and
finishing at the Scottsville Race Course
in Pietermaritzburg, 12 hours later.