Use of technology can also be introduced in supporting the sports activities such as officiating - refereeing , judging and selection of the same . We have seen the use of Video-Assisted-Refereeing ( VAR ) in football and the impact it has had in the last few years . Lack of technology in boxing has seen the once famed ‘ Hit Squad ’ - Kenya ’ s boxing national team miss or lose at major tournaments and championships .
Youth and Talent Management : I have lost count of the number of football academies that I have seen in Nairobi , let alone other urban areas . While it is good to develop these youth centres especially for a game like football , a more wholesome approach would give us a rich well of talent to tap from . If you look at more developed sports economies such as Spain , clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona attract a whole wealth of talent for their different sports - from football , basketball to volleyball . These clubs have developed an elaborate and clear structure for nurturing budding talent and act as feeder programmes for their clubs and national teams .
Private-Public Partnerships : Arguments have been made about the private sector ’ s involvement vis-à-vis that of Government . Since time immemorial , sports have been largely a private good or investment that eventually attracts public participation and eventually the Government . In current times , the more a sport engages private companies , the more growth , and opportunities it may realize from its stakeholders . Let ’ s work with the Safari Rally as a case study . The car manufacturers , fuel companies , tyre manufacturers and related companies pool in to ensure their teams participate and score points for their cars . The Government offers the facilities in the different rallying areas be it both in urban and out of town experiences . Access to some of the scenic areas and national facilities is enabled thanks to the involvement and intervention from the highest political office in Kenya .
Another great example is the golfing scene in Kenya . Golf enjoys the highest level of sponsorship compared to other sporting disciplines in the country . Every weekend , there is a golf tournament taking place in one golf club or another across the country . The Kenya Open - the marquee event for the golfing community attracts some of the highest talent both from the local and international circuits . It also gets comprehensive sponsorship both in cash and kind from private and public companies , thanks once again to the game ’ s
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The sports sector has become more competitive , global , and professional than ever . Local stakeholders will need to rethink their value proposition , integrate the necessary infrastructure and policies , and adopt an elaborate sustainable strategy to remain relevant now and in the future .
former patron in the 1990s and early 2000s - the late President Mwai Kibaki .
Commercialization and Delivery of Sports : I ’ ve written and harped on this column about the need to professionalize and commercialize sports in the country . Part of the reason some of our sports disciplines have stunted or dropped off the rails is precisely due to lack of this . Beyond the amateur nature sport , there is need to grow sports to make them attractive to private and commercial interests .
When the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) ended the era of amateurism for the Olympic Games in 1992 , the Games were open to professional athletes on condition that no prize money would be paid with the players falling under their respective National Olympic Committees jurisdiction . This provided them with leverage of attracting wider audiences due to the participation and appeal of the world ’ s best athletes in Olympic sports - growing their potential in media and commercial rights .
Related to the point above of privatepublic partnerships , areas such as sports infrastructure cannot be undertaken by the Counties or National Government alone . Appealing to individuals or corporate firms to fund-raise and develop sports fields and playing areas will help bring many sports disciplines the right environment . Once this is done , the areas will attract talent from the local communities to build local clubs which eventually build to the national teams . Companies would be attracted to invest in such endeavours to grow their brands and gain social capital among such communities .
Revenues generated from commercial activities would be redistributed to all levels of their respective sport .
Governance and Integrity : Sports bodies need to work closely and collaborate with inter-governmental departments to identify , monitor , and intervene in any breach of integrity . It is important to note - intervention is not the same as interference - as a good lawyer friend of mine attested in the recent football management fiascos we have witnessed in Kenya . Adoption of preventive measures against unlawful and unfair dealings and discrimination is critical . This can be done by establishing and continuously revising rules and statutes , policies , and procedures to ensure good governance .
Digital Transformation : This is in relation to making decisions , empowering the people within the organizations - officials , players , and sports personalities - allowing them to test things and innovate . There will be failures , but the lessons learnt from the mistakes will provide a breeding ground for innovative technologies . We have all seen how the use of technology has helped our athletes improve on their marathon running techniques , integrating this with their training regimes . Embracing these into our local sports from the lowest levels to the national competitions would empower the young people and involve them too to contribute to the respective sports .
In finishing , the sports sector has become more competitive , global , and professional than ever . Local stakeholders will need to rethink their value proposition , integrate the necessary infrastructure and policies , and adopt an elaborate sustainable strategy to remain relevant now and in the future . For a sector which commands approximately US $ 170-180 billion annually , why can ’ t Kenya claim its piece of the action ?
Richard Wanjohi is a B2B marketing and sports marketing consultant . You can commune with him on this or related matters via email at : RWanjohi @ gmail . com or follow his tweets on @ rwanjohi .