adminLovemore Dube Senior Sports Editor
BULAWAYO has a perfect environment for sport to flourish, an international sports consultant has said.
Joseph Rego, the chief executive officer of the Heath Streak Academy and Sport Consultancy, said this in an interview after the unveiling of a soccer project at their club on Saturday. Dalubuhle Bhebhe, a development enthusiast saw his academy kick off on Saturday with a dozen kids in attendance.
“The Bulawayo environment is good for sport to flourish. There are several fields for children to use and the enthusiasm is there. What is needed is us administrators to create more organised playing opportunities for the kids,” said Rego of India who saw potential in investing in sport development in Bulawayo two years ago.
He did not hesitate after coming on a fact-finding mission and agreed with his long time business partner Heath Streak that Bulawayo presented a perfect place for an academy to be established.
He said he had been humbled by the reception he received from the community and businesspeople like Raj Modi.
He said: “The business community in Bulawayo likes to support sport. Yes things economic wise have not been so rosy but I have found many eager to support sport as part of their community responsibility programmes where they give back to the communities they make business in.”
Rego said it is important to have a sportspersons base which is vibrant and people driven with the corporate sector topping up with finances which are the enabling tools.
He said at their academy they had been overwhelmed by the response to cricket. Rego said rugby and swimming had also come on board to set base at the academy and he is confident that in three to five years Bulawayo and the city will be reaping from the initiative.
“We are targeting children below the age of 17 in our sporting disciplines. We provide one on one mentoring for kids in the sporting disciplines that we are working on now. They are getting the best training from qualified personnel,”’ said Rego.
The Heath Streak Academy on Saturday revealed that it had gone into a partnership with image consultant Amanda Mutangadura.
“With glamour being the integral part to cricket in today’s world, it’s no surprise that every after-match event will have top designers of their country hosting a fashion show. And the names involved in these shows are some of the best in the business,” said Rego.
Because of what he has done with the Heath Streak Academy, many believe Zimbabwe Cricket need someone like him in their secretariat to help the sport get back to its feet.
“Yes I have heard people say they want me to help Zimbabwe Cricket, but I have this baby here to take care but anything to do with the development of sport I am prepared to help this country. I love Zimbabwe,” said Rego whose marketing acumen can be seen from the number of companies involved in perimeter advertising at MaCdonald Club where they are housed.
Online Reporter