Sport is the Future of Africa’s Rise! 

I have a prediction to make. I believe there will come a time, perhaps soon or maybe a long time from now, that sport will be on the front pages of newspapers, especially in Africa, instead of the back pages as they currently are.

The reason for that will be because Africans will have more to celebrate as opposed to the bad news that normally goes in the current system of things.

Let me take you on a quick journey for the basis of my prediction.

For starters, sport has proven over and over again that it is the single biggest contributor to creating millionaires in Africa below the age of 40.

I can name many internationals like the late basketball star Dikembe Mutombo from Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon’s retired football ace Samuel Eto’o, but the local examples are even more noticeable.

All of us know how the lives of the likes of Frank Fredericks, Johanna Benson, Ananias Shikongo, Collin Benjamin, Deon Hotto, Peter Shalulile, Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi, Paulus ‘The Hitman’ Moses and Paulus ‘The Rock’ Ambunda have been impacted positively thanks to their sporting exploits.

Secondly, sport has proven over and over again that it is the single biggest contributor to unity in any country, including Namibia.

I recently read comments by a Nigerian who couldn’t hide his excitement at seeing his fellow countrymen uniting despite their numerous differences over a game of football.

The same has happened in many other African countries after the recently held Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

These two points alone are enough to see the potential power sport has in overcoming many social problems like racism, tribalism, poverty and crimes related to poverty.

In my dream (read ‘prediction’) I see a world where more is spent on sport at school level, resulting in a greater output of world-class sport stars.

This in turn would result in more sport lawyers, doctors, accountants, physiotherapists, psychologists and trainers being needed.

In my dream, everybody will have a place in sport, even those that are not inclined to be athletes, because those good at statistics and mathematics would be increasingly required to analyse possible outcomes and to check performances in real time.

In my dream, countries would stop spending billions on the defence forces, and would rather pump that into sport.

Heck, there are already signs of that happening with the rise of Khomas Nampol in the Namibia Premier Football League and the likes of Mighty Gunners and the Windhoek Correctional Service having football teams of note.

In my dream, instead of war, countries would be dreaming of winning gold at the various international events as opposed to killing each other.

There are signs of this happening as there have been cases of warring countries agreeing to a ceasefire to allow sporting events to take place.

In my dream, the multibillion-dollar industry that is sport today would become even bigger.

Already this is happening with big sport teams around the world employing thousands of workers. That number is set to grow as more countries turn professional.

Even here in Namibia, the likes of African Stars are taking steps to employing youngsters with the broadcast of their games on the internet with commentators, videographers and graphic designers in their service.

Cricket Namibia is similarly helping youngsters by now offering them professional contracts to play for the Eagles.

Other codes are learning too, with Netball Namibia recently sharing notes with Cricket Namibia in the hopes of also turning professional.

In my dream, a greater emphasis on sport would lead to a healthier population overall, which in turn reduces the strain on the health sector.

So, no need to build more hospitals and clinics, just get more people to play sport.

Finally, in my dream there will be less division because of politics or political affiliations, simply since there is unity in purpose, which is to excel in sport, and there would be less need for political parties.

This does not mean there would be an end to politics; only a slight change as we know it today.

I want to conclude by saying if Africa is to truly rise, it needs to get the sport industry debate right, which means investing in it right now.

It is pleasing to see that president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has moved into the right direction by announcing investment into sport.

That rhetoric now needs to turn into action.

I so submit.

– Hector Mawonga is a football analyst and sport activist.

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