by Dzudzie Faith Netshisaulu
At least 12 retired sports men and women were honoured and celebrated for their efforts on and off the pitch through a Betway initiative called The Betway 12th Man Programme in a classy dinner hosted at the swanky The Venue Atrium in Melrose Arch on Wednesday.
In its second season, The Betway 12th Man Programme, an initiative aimed at equipping former sports legends with entrepreneurial skills, hosted a grand graduation ceremony, which also saw them announce the first highly anticipated Betway Innovation Series winner.
Uniquely designed by the globally acclaimed sports betting brand, the Betway 12th Man is a bold initiative taken by Betway in a bid to curb the continued plight of unemployment and depression faced by retired athletes in South Africa. It brings together 12 sporting icons for a six-month period for learning of practical skills in Marketing, Media, Event Management, Branding and Entrepreneurship by various sport and business industry experts.
This cohort of legends comprised of former athletes across the fields of football, rugby, cricket, netball, mixed-martial arts, boxing and canoeing.
While Wednesday marked the conclusion of the programme, the journey continues over the next six months for all 12, following the final module of the programme which was the Betway Innovation Series that saw the participants paired in groups to present a business idea to a panel of judges who will also act as mentors in guiding them to gradually build and scale their business ideas.
The evening’s highlight was the announcement of the Betway Innovation Series winners whose business ideas won them a share of the R300 000.00 made available by Betway to start up their businesses.
Nontle Gwavu a former netballer and now owner of Elite Netball Academy received winnings of about R110 000. Gwavu’s academy unearths, incubates and nurtures young netballers by providing them with high quality coaching, mentorship and competitive opportunities.
Dino Baggatin & Hekkie Budler of Nice Guys Management walked away with a cool cash prize of R100 000.00 for their programme that teaches Combat Sports for the Youth in underprivileged areas as well as relieve stress & anxiety in the work environment
Meanwhile, former footballer Benson Mhlongo who owns Sports Legends Live, a television show that connects fans with sports legends received a cash injection of R90 000 towards his business.
The panel of judges included (Ashley Kotzin, Khumo Shuenyane and Mark Rowles) who will all remain at the disposal of the participants in their new and exciting chapters of business and entrepreneurship.
Mark Rowles, Head of Marketing at Betway South Africa said, “We are immensely proud of all the Betway 12th Man participants. Their journey over the past few months has been nothing short of inspiring thanks to their commitment to the programme. As a brand that is deeply invested in South African sport, such initiatives underscore our passion for sport in its totality, which includes our retired stars who have given so much to the rich history books of South African sport.
Through such a programme, Betway not only demonstrates its appreciation to them, but aims to guide them in re-inventing themselves for the world of business and entrepreneurship.”
Football legends for both men and women sides Lucas Radebe and Simphiwe Dludlu, who are both graduates of season 1, joined members of the media and sports industry peers for the graduation ceremony.
BETWAY 12th MAN GRADUATES:
Benson Mhlongo (Football); Benedict Vilakazi (Football); Janine Van Wyk (Football); Maud Khumalo (Football); Ayavuya Myoli (Cricket); Mangaliso Mosehle (Cricket); Hekkie Budler (Boxing); Dino Baggatin (MMA); Morgan Newman (Rugby); Bridgitte Hartley (Canoeing); Nontle Gwavu (Netball); Phumza Maweni (Netball).