JANUARY 2021 ASM Magazine Vol II Issue I | Page 40

JANUARY 2021
“ We have athletes , people who can play . We are strong as Africans . You look at the United States , the people who play basketball and always win are Africans . Africans have the competence and ability to win . We must find Africa ’ s talents and make them profitable .”
Akinwunmi Adesina President of the AfDB
European , Asian and American societies have developed sports as an economy to engage athletes and their people , triggering rapid human and social development by providing the right and adequate sport infrastructures in terms of stadiums , leagues , entities and other concerns .
Africa ’ s history with sports is in the centennial and the continent has not ceased to assert itself in global sports participation but has failed to announce its sustainability in the infrastructure of sports .
There is a wide and inexhaustible pool of sports talents regenerating every year and decade , however , it is unfortunate that there is no commensurate supply of physical and organizational structure to develop and increase this wealth for continental gain .
It is the advantage and employment opportunities in the economics of
sports that draws African talents away from the continent and further to those nations who have standardized it as an industry .
Mr Adesina , who was quoted earlier , added that it is important to invest in sports infrastructure in order to create jobs and engage the youths .
He said : “ We have athletes , people who can play . We are strong as Africans . You look at the United States , the people who play basketball and always win are Africans . Africans have the competence and ability to win . We must find Africa ’ s talents and make them profitable .”
To find Africa ’ s talents and make them profitable , the economics of sports infrastructure have to be utilized .
Africa is a continent of opportunities , dynamic development and a young population . Half of the 1.2 billion residents of Africa are under the age of 25 . Soon , the continent will be home to one quarter of the global population ; more than two billion people – populated by youths .
Generally , there is an infrastructure gap in Africa , in sports and other concerns of the continent . Sports
POSTMODERN structures cannot exist independently PAINTING . Stella :
road networks , power , technology alternately paints , in oil and watercolor housing , etc . all these are directly and indirectly affective .
It costs on the average , $ 500 - $ 700 million dollars in infrastructure spending for the African Nations Cup . When the tournament ends , these infrastructures are rarely put to other better uses to utilize for development of athletes , promotion of sports and economic gains which ultimately initiate maintenance .
According to 2018 Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostics compiled by The Infrastructure Consortium for Africa , the continent “ needs about $ 93 billion per year on infrastructure spending out of that , African governments only spend about $ 45 billion – about one-third of
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