The African Sports and Creative Institute (ASCI) Newsletter - Week 49
Agoo??
Wo ho te sεn?
?(Hello?)
(How are you?) in Akan?
Akan is the most widely spoken native language in Ghana keeping us to the Western part of Africa - our feature country this week - this time coming a few days earlier.
December’s flying by so fast. Let’s take a pitstop for some sports action and business side of things to take note of including African Development Bank Group (AfDB)'s investment in Morocco's sports infrastructure for the 2030 World Cup, the sports technology market to reach $82.70 Billion by 2032, NBA Africa honored for Innovation in Entrepreneurship among other headlines. Let's get going!
As one of three co-hosts, Morocco is gearing up for the 2030 FIFA World Cup with a major boost—a loan to fund the development of world-class infrastructure for the historic tournament. This facility is extended by the African Development Bank Group . A boon for the North African country!
Growing at a 20.45% annual growth rate, and driven by the tech advancements, wearables, data insights, smart stadiums, fan engagement, and increased investments in esports and sports-tech startups are expected to drive the growth; the sports tech market is expected to reach $ 82.7 billion by the year 2032. We believe Africa will be part of the expansion and growth for sports tech.
NBA Africa has clinched the African Excellence Award at the 2024 Sports Industry Awards, recognizing its innovative contributions to entrepreneurship and innovation across the continent. Through it's groundbreaking project "NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator program” which launched in April 2024, it has seen an appreciation of innovating and investing in sports across the continent. Cheers to you!
Ferrari remains the most valuable F1 team as 2024 season closes; as Rwanda seeks to host an F1 Grand Prix
Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari tops the car manufacturers as the 2024 season closes in brand valuation. The team missed out on the constructors' title, which they will definitely challenge for with the expected Lewis Hamilton entry in 2025.
In a related story, Rwanda's going full throttle in looking to host a Grand Prix on the continent, hopefully returning Africa on the Formula 1 map.
According to a study by research and content agency Redtorch , female Olympians were featured in fewer Paris 2024-focused news articles yet outperformed their male counterparts in social engagement. This is an interesting insight given the Jeux Olympiques Paris 2024 ● represented the first time male and female participants'. Definitely room for growth and improvement folks!
Sports apparel brand PUMA Group Puma has unveiled its Vision 2030 sustainability goals, featuring ambitious reduction targets and a stronger commitment to renewable energy. This is a welcome boost to the effects of sustainable sports development in the apparel space.
South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) has received a rival bid worth $372 million for its broadcasting rights. A group comprising four companies the bid to buy a stake in the commercial rights of South Africa’s @Springboks, the reigning rugby-union world champions. This is taking an interesting twist, of course with the best interests for the continued growth and exposure of the biggest and best rugby team on the continent and the world currently.
What We Loved
Australian teenager Gout Gout, born to South Sudanese parents, has stormed into the record books as the fastest 16-year-old in history over 200m. At the Australian Schools Championships in Brisbane, Gout clocked an extraordinary 20.04 seconds, breaking Peter Norman’s long-standing national record from the 1968 Olympics.
This time also positions him as the second-fastest U18 sprinter globally, just behind Erriyon Knighton’s 19.84 as a 17-year-old in 2021. Adding to his remarkable weekend, Gout ran the 100m in 10.04 seconds, marking the fourth-fastest time ever by an Australian.
Reflecting on his achievement, Gout said, “It’s pretty crazy. These are adults, and I’m just a kid, running them down. I didn’t think this record would come this year.”
Standing at 6’2”, Gout’s lightning speed and fluid stride have drawn comparisons to the legendary Usain Bolt. As he approaches his 17th birthday, the world watches in anticipation of what’s next for this rising star.
What We Are Reading
Game of Edges: The Analytics Revolution and the Future of Professional Sports?
In Game of Edges, Bruce Schoenfeld Bruce Schoenfeld delves into how tech-savvy franchise owners are transforming professional sports. Over the last two decades, innovation, data analysis, and technology have turned sports teams from small businesses into sophisticated enterprises, spanning diverse industries like digital content, real estate, and gambling.
Today’s franchises are leveraging data for everything—from optimizing player performance to targeting fans with precision marketing. These incremental gains redefine success, focusing on engagement and profitability as much as on winning championships.
With insights from industry leaders behind teams like the Golden State Warriors and Liverpool Football Club , this book offers a compelling look at how data is reshaping the game both on and off the field. A must-read for those passionate about the intersection of sports, business, and technology! Get a copy here
Country Focus
Ghana
Gold Coast, Wagadu - the West African country is also one of the most storied African nations. It is nestled between Togo and Cote d’Ivoire, on the coast of West Africa.??
Population: 34,612,532 GDP: ? $80.577 billion? Nominal per capita: $2,328
Sports:
Football Milestones: Ghana’s men’s team is nicknamed The Black Stars currently ranked 77th on the FIFA rankings.?
The Black Stars have won the Africa Cup of Nations 4 times and participated in the World Cup, 4 times reaching the Quarter-Finals in 2010. They have some of Africa’s biggest football talents and players including
Olympic Participation:? 4 Medals have been won including boxer Clement Quartey and 2 other boxers;? Ghananians football team won Bronze medal to become the first country on the Africa continent to win a medal at association football.?
In 2010, England-born Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, known as “The Snow Leopard”, competed in Alpine skiing in Vancouver, making it the first appearance by a Ghanaian athlete at the Winter Olympics.
Others who followed in his lead include; Akwasi Frimpong in 2018 men’s skeleton, and Alpine skier Carlos M?der in the 2022 giant slalom event.
Thank you for gracing our weekly newsletter. Tag us, repost and share widely. As the year draws to a close, we welcome your feedback and notes to our [email protected] email. Till the next time, ciao!