50 jilibet
2025-01-13   

{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "dateCreated": "2024-12-08T22:30:42+02:00", "datePublished": "2024-12-08T22:30:42+02:00", "dateModified": "2024-12-09T20:49:44+02:00", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22449/news/africa/nba-africas-akamanzi-on-sports-investment-returns", "headline": "NBA Africa’s Akamanzi on sports investment, returns", "description": "Many African countries are recognising the economic potential of sports and entertainment, but there is a conviction that significant investments in...", "keywords": "", "inLanguage": "en", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22449/news/africa/nba-africas-akamanzi-on-sports-investment-returns" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/12/08/65948.png", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/12/08/65948.png" }, "articleBody": "Many African countries are recognising the economic potential of sports and entertainment, but there is a conviction that significant investments in talent and infrastructure are needed to fully capitalise on this opportunity. On the sidelines of the just concluded African Investment Forum in Rabat, Morocco, The New Times’ Alice Kagina caught up with Clare Akamanzi, CEO of NBA Africa, to discuss about the need for perspective shift, economic potential of sports, and returns on investment in the sector. Below are excerpts. You are almost one year in at NBA Africa, how has it been? It's been a learning curve. Obviously, having come from RDB (Rwanda Development Board) was like a comfort zone since I had spent many years there. I have learnt a lot being at NBA Africa. I knew so much about BAL (Basketball Africa League) because of the partnerships we have in Rwanda but from the inside, I had so much to learn and extremely exciting and I am very energized now that I see and understand much better about how we can actually use sports to transform Africa. I see its possibility. I see it every single day, and I really can't wait to see Africans benefitting from sports and entertainment because this is the future. It’s been one year of learning, but one year of immense appreciation of how crucial sports is for the economy. What is the current landscape of investor interest in the sports sector in Africa? First of all, we are seeing sports as one of the fastest-growing sectors on the continent. In fact, the sports industry is projected to grow by 8 per cent over the next few years, significantly outpacing the continent's average GDP growth. This means there is a lot of opportunity for growth for those who invest in the sports sector. Since NBA investment in Africa, we have [opened] offices in five countries, namely South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria and Egypt. We are investing because we see there is an opportunity not only commercially but also to transform the economies of Africa using sports. We've also invested in a new league that has done four seasons already. We're now going to the fifth season of the BAL. And we've seen it grow. When we started four years ago, it was during COVID. From the first season of Basketball Africa League which took place in a bubble because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the second season in BK Arena had 45,000 people that came to watch the game and the following year, we had 70,000 people, last season, we had about 120,000 people coming to watch the games in-person. The same increase is noticed on our digital platforms; we have about one billion engagements throughout all our social media platforms. The growth is real in terms of BAL but the impact is beyond. If you look at Rwanda, 15 per cent of the revenues from tourism is coming from events, and sports events are a critical part of them contributing directly to bringing millions of dollars to the country. We are seeing more and more investors in teams like Tigers in Rwanda and Nairobi City Thunder which became the first Kenyan team to qualify for BAL because of the investments raised that enabled them to get good players. The investment landscape is growing because companies are seeing opportunities to support teams through sponsorship or equity. The likes of Inyange, RSSB, Summa, and others. For me, all of this shows that we are only scratching the surface because the opportunity is really large and NBA is committed to unlock that. In October, you announced the construction of 100 outdoor courts in Kenya. How do you plan to expand these kinds of facilities across the continent? NBA has announced that we'll build 1,000 courts in Africa. 100 of those will be in Kenya, but the rest will be distributed among 11 countries, including Rwanda. This means increase of access to the basketball game with more kids playing, and we have seen African governments having similar initiatives of investing in courts to breed talent in several countries. Once they have that kind of access at a grassroots level, we begin to give them other opportunities such as participating in Basketball Without Boarder camps, where we bring talent, train them, and put out good talents taken to play professionally. We also have an NBA academy in Senegal where the best identified on the continent are taken. This year, we have our first prospect from the academy drafted into the NBA. NBA Africa is an investment valued at $1 billion, how are the financial returns and how do you get to create partnerships? The more games we have, the more seasons we have, the more funds we have, and as our fans increase, it gives us an opportunity to monetize the sport. So, the more fans, the more the sponsorship, because sponsors want to see how many people can watch their products. Same thing with the media where sports make money by selling broadcasting rights to broadcasters to show the game. We see all of that increasing, there is more media, more sponsorship, and more merchandise. For me, sports and basketball in particular is a story of growth and that demonstrates return. Of course, we are not here to make profit very quickly, NBA is very aware that this is a long-term investment and we know we are going to be here for decades. We are not in a hurry to make money because we are not leaving. The important thing is growth. What challenges are sports development efforts facing in Africa? The challenges are there but the good thing is that we see them improving. One of them is how we perceive new sports, with the perception of sports as a recreation or physical education, more of a by-the-way, yet there is huge economic opportunity for people. Many countries rely on tourism for their economies, sports is as important as tourism in terms of how it can transform an economy and the talent that it has. The second one is even though we see more infrastructure coming up, they're not enough. We need an arena in all the major cities of Africa, a world-class arena that can host big games. We need to see more courts in all schools and communities. Additionally, to consume sports, you need infrastructure like affordable internet and access to smart gadgets. For me, those are the things that will allow sports to grow even more. But this also goes with the increase of disposable income as economies continue to grow so that people can also consume sports and entertainment. You participated in the Africa Investment Forum. Are there some projects that NBA Africa is seeking to make investments deals for? No, our deals are constant in terms of investment sports, sponsoring sports, and investing in teams, and this means that all the things that are discussed here, infrastructure, electricity, and energy are relevant to us. All those provide a platform because you can't watch a game without electricity, internet or good infrastructure. That's why we are here to engage with financiers and leaders, and to preach the gospel of sports being a huge economic opportunity. What advice would you give to an entrepreneur or investor looking to venture into sports investments? Take time to understand sports. Take time to see the opportunity, learn from countries that have made sports such a big opportunity and then go into it, invest, get to know the details. Once you do, there's no turning back because sports is only going to grow. Africa is a youthful continent with an average age of 19. The future is here because this is where the consumer of sports is going to be for the next 20 to 30 years. From an NBA Africa perspective, do you see any efforts towards establishing a continental women’s league? We invest a lot in women and we have programmes like BAL4Her and our clinics are 50-50 gender inclusive but for a women’s league, it is something that we will explore down the road, but for the moment, we started with BAL and we need it to grow and be sustained. Any parting shot? We are coming back to Kigali for our conference in May, though not the finals. As usual, we want to see BAL paint the whole city of Kigali red because that's what we do. The city is so lit, and we see BAL as a part of that. Other cities we will be playing in are Morocco, Senegal, and South Africa. Watch the games on apps, and on TV but also come and watch the games in the arena.", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Kagina" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/", "sameAs": ["https://www.facebook.com/TheNewTimesRwanda/","https://twitter.com/NewTimesRwanda","https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuZbZj6DF9zWXpdZVceDZkg"], "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "/theme_newtimes/images/logo.png", "width": 270, "height": 57 } }, "copyrightHolder": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/" } }Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of material from 11 contributing columnists , along with other commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• Although America’s divisive presidential election is now behind us, casting votes did not do much to heal our country’s deep philosophical and political divides. We remain a polarized people, with about half the nation pleased about the electoral outcome and the other half perplexed by it. In a healthy democracy, there will always be vigorous debate and disagreement about what policy prescriptions are best for our cities, states and nation — and who is best equipped to lead them. A consensus is always hard to find in a country as geographically, racially and socioeconomically diverse as ours. But self-rule requires societal self-assessment. And an honest reflection on the worrying level of political enmity that exists today reveals we must do better for American democracy to thrive. The hostility on both sides of the aisle is not conducive to a free society functioning well, as it makes substantive discourse between disagreeing parties impossible and instills fear in many that exercising First Amendment rights will get them in trouble at home or at work. Democracy requires reflection, rigor and reason. It calls us to be calm, attentive and courteous. All things sorely lacking in recent ballot box contests. So how can this caustic political climate be reset? One potential simple solution: friendship. When we hold true friends who vote differently from the way we do, we can empathize with what motivates those on the other side of causes we care about. And that understanding allows for a more thoughtful approach to and investigation of our own views. By humanizing our public policy adversaries, politically diverse relationships help hold us back from using the cheapest and most destructive partisan tool: demonizing the opposition. My own anecdotal observations along with recent studies confirm that Americans are more and more segregating their relationships based on politics. An Axios poll of young adults revealed 33% of respondents would “definitely not” or “probably not” befriend someone who voted for a different presidential nominee. And according to a study by the Survey Center on American Life, 15% of people torpedoed acquaintances over political disagreements alone. It’s not hard to understand this troubling trend. Life can be a lot easier if one silos among people who see the world the same way. Let’s be honest: It’s gratifying to have our views affirmed and much harder to have them challenged. It’s effortless just to reject the political opposition as morally reprehensible and much more difficult to impersonally advocate one’s ideas with good argument and data instead. But failing to interact on a personal level with people we disagree with coarsens our politics, eliminates the philosophical and factual accountability that comes from respectful disagreement and makes us too strident with each other. Conservatives are a rare breed in my hometown of St. Paul, and if I chose my friendships based on partisan leanings I’d be a very lonely guy. But most of my best friends and neighbors here are dyed-in-the-wool Democrats. They are smart and well informed, and they deepen and enrich my own views by arguing their side of things with me. We listen to and learn from one another — and even though our minds are rarely changed, our opinions are refined for the better. But, more importantly, my left-of-center friends in the Saintly City are interesting, kind and of good character. How foolish it would be to cut such people out of my life simply because they vote differently. And I am grateful they keep me in theirs. While maintaining friendships across party lines sounds like a good idea in theory, it can be tough work. It requires of us a decision to love each other even in the face of disagreement and to honor our friends’ right to freedom of speech and thought. And while we can confront our friends’ views and preferred political candidates, we also must be willing to be the one who is challenged and to welcome such confrontation. A bipartisan friendship commands intellectual humility and leaves open the idea that we might be wrong. If one cannot do this and lacks friendships with significant political differences, it’s strong evidence one is an ideologue, which is not a good thing to be. Philosophically intolerant dogmatists have trouble getting along with those they conflict with on matters of political profundity. That type of intolerant attitude does not work well in a system of self-government that requires a free flow of ideas and discourse. And it’s an unhealthy and unhelpful characteristic to have if one wants to be productive and happy in a pluralistic society. “Everyone notionally understands his or her own fallibility,” the conservative Princeton Prof. Robert P. George, who enjoys a well-known and close friendship with Democratic Socialist Cornel West, wrote in a recent social media post. “But notionally isn’t enough. The test comes when someone disagrees with you about something you regard as profoundly important — when someone dissents from your deepest, most cherished, even identity-forming beliefs ... It takes genuine strength of character and courage — truly, and not merely notionally, to recognize our fallibility. Fellow truth-seekers can be friends because they recognize their own fallibility and are willing to be challenged, as well as to challenge. They’re eager to learn from each other. Unlike ideologues, they don’t allow infatuation with their own opinions to impede pursuit of truth.” Don’t we all want to be truth-seekers? Dogmatism seems like a downer. Sunny Hostin, the liberal-leaning co-host of the television program “The View,” encouraged her Democratic viewers to cut off contact with family and friends that voted the other way during the upcoming holidays. What daft advice. Our relationships with loved ones should always surmount politics, no matter what. And we can all help unite our fractured nation after this bruising election by committing to respectfully engage with those we disagree with and listen more earnestly to ideas we do not like. Loving those who think differently from us can also truly be one of life’s great treasures. Don’t rob yourself of it.Companies tighten security after a health care CEO's killing leads to a surge of threats50 jilibet 。

The issue of head injuries in football is not a new one, but the latest research from the University of Glasgow has brought it back into the spotlight with alarming statistics. The physical toll of professional sports, particularly in contact sports like football, is undeniable, and the mental health implications for athletes cannot be overlooked.

In California, where Boeing has a significant presence with facilities in cities such as Long Beach and Seal Beach, the company is expected to cut hundreds of jobs. The layoffs will affect various functions within the company, including engineering, manufacturing, and support roles. Employees in California have been notified of the layoffs, which are expected to take effect in the coming weeks.

NoneEmerging tight end Noah Gray gives Mahomes and the Chiefs another option in passing game

Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan to enter 2025 NFL Draft

CJ 4DPLEX and Cinema West Sign Multi-Theater Deal To Launch 270-Degree Panoramic ScreenX and Multisensory 4DX Auditoriums Across CaliforniaIn conclusion, Rio Ferdinand's call for Manchester United to trim their squad of underperforming players aligns with the ongoing speculation surrounding Diogo Dalot's potential departure from the club. The upcoming transfer window promises to be an intriguing period for both clubs as they seek to make the necessary moves to improve their competitiveness in the ever-evolving landscape of elite football.NASA's 2 stuck astronauts face more time in space with return delayed until at least late March

Commerce minister chairs 10th Qatar-Iran Joint Economic CommissionIn conclusion, The Daily Mail's 12 misguided decisions outlined in this article have had far-reaching consequences for its reputation and credibility as a news organization. By prioritizing sensationalism, spreading misinformation, and neglecting ethical standards, the newspaper has alienated readers, damaged public discourse, and undermined trust in journalism. As media consumers, it is essential to critically evaluate the sources of information we rely on and hold media organizations accountable for their actions and decisions.

Fleeing Assad Reportedly Arrives In Moscow

NoneAs the dust settles on yet another humbling defeat for Quique Setien, one thing is certain: the road to redemption will be long and arduous. But if there's one thing we've learned from Setien's past experiences, it's that he is not one to back down from a challenge. Who knows what the future holds for Setien and Beijing Guoan, but one thing is for sure – football will always find a way to surprise us when we least expect it.

UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for BJ’s Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ) StockFor months, rumors and whispers had been circulating about a possible confrontation between the two formidable opponents. Hunter 1, known for his cunning tactics and ruthless efficiency, had built a reputation as one of the most feared and respected hunters in the game. His skill in tracking down elusive targets and taking them down with precision had earned him a legion of devoted fans and a long list of enemies.

Title: Growing Discontent: Barcelona's Core Player and Club Relationship Under Strain Due to Multiple IssuesCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA's two stuck astronauts just got their space mission extended again. That means they won't be back on Earth until spring — 10 months after rocketing into orbit on Boeing's Starliner capsule. NASA announced the latest delay in Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams' homecoming Tuesday. The two test pilots planned to be away just a week or so when they blasted off June 5 on Boeing's first astronaut flight to the International Space Station. Their mission grew from eight days to eight months after NASA decided to send the company's problem-plagued Starliner capsule back empty in September. Now the pair won't return until the end of March or even April because of a delay in launching their replacements, according to NASA. A fresh crew needs to launch before Wilmore and Williams can return and the next mission was bumped more than a month, according to the space agency. NASA's next crew of four was supposed to launch in February, followed by Wilmore and Williams' return home by the end of that month alongside two other astronauts. But SpaceX needs more time to prepare the new capsule for liftoff. That launch is now scheduled for no earlier than late March. NASA said it considered using a different SpaceX capsule to fly up the replacement crew in order to keep the flights on schedule. However, it decided the best option was to wait for the new capsule to transport the next crew. NASA prefers to have overlapping crews at the space station for a smoother transition, according to officials. Most space station missions last six months, with a few reaching a full year.

The Financial Services Institutions Bureau ( FSIB ) on Saturday recommended Binod Kumar for the post of Managing Director of Chennai-based Indian Bank . Kumar, who is serving as Executive Director of Punjab National Bank , will replace S L Jain on his superannuation next month. Declaring the result of the selection process, the FSIB -- the headhunter for directors of state-owned banks and financial institutions -- in a statement said the bureau interviewed 15 candidates on Sunday. "Keeping in view their performance in the interface, their overall experience and the extant parameters, the Bureau recommends Binod Kumar for the position of MD & CEO in Indian Bank," it said. Earlier in April, the bureau had selected Asheesh Pandey for the position but the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had raised some reservation over his name. Therefore, the bureau held a fresh interview to choose a new person in place of Pandey. The final decision on the FSIB recommendation would be taken by the appointments committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance AI and Generative AI for Finance By - Hariom Tatsat, Vice President- Quantitative Analytics at Barclays View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Web Development C++ Fundamentals for Absolute Beginners By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Tally Prime & GST Accounting: Complete Guide By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Tabnine AI Masterclass: Optimize Your Coding Efficiency By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Office Productivity Advanced Excel Course - Financial Calculations & Excel Made Easy By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Web Development JavaScript Essentials: Unlock AI-Driven Insights with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Strategy ESG and Business Sustainability Strategy By - Vipul Arora, Partner, ESG & Climate Solutions at Sattva Consulting Author I Speaker I Thought Leader View Program Web Development Django & PostgreSQL Mastery: Build Professional Web Applications By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Master RESTful APIs with Python and Django REST Framework: Web API Development By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Future of Marketing & Branding Masterclass By - Dr. David Aaker, Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, Author | Speaker | Thought Leader | Branding Consultant View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program FSIB is headed by former Department of Personnel and Training Secretary Bhanu Pratap Sharma. Other members of the headhunter are Animesh Chauhan, former chairman and MD of erstwhile Oriental Bank of Commerce, the RBI's former executive director Deepak Singhal, and Shailendra Bhandari, ex-MD of erstwhile ING Vysya Bank. Nominations for ET MSME Awards are now open. The last day to apply is November 30, 2024. Click here to submit your entry for any one or more of the 22 categories and stand a chance to win a prestigious award. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )

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