AMPZ, a sports technology startup company, has launched her mobile app that will allow sports talents to profile themselves, share their data, upload their content and get connected to verified opportunities.
The app which is known as “LinkedIn” for sports, aims to connect 5000 African talents within the age 13-24, to their dream opportunities within the next five years, CEO of the sports-tech company says.
“We have seen a huge gap in the African sports market and AMPZ is here not only to bridge that gap but also power the dreams of the next generation of African stars together with our partners”, said Co-Founder/CEO Abdul-Jabbar Momoh.
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According to him, there are an estimated 78 million connected sports participants aged (10-24 years), exposed to exploitation including trafficking due to lack of access to verified information and platforms to connect with the right audience. Many African kids and youths believe sports is their ticket to a better life but are confronted with these challenges.
To also support this solution, the firm last week launched the maiden edition of her talent incubation programme called MatchMania.
The event which would be held annually is designed to help the younger generation showcase their talents in grassroots sports first in Nigeria and then Africa in the nearest future.
The event featured a team of promising talents from the AMPZ platform who entertained the crowd in games against MPAC Sports and Crest Football Academy formerly cowbell.
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At the end of the games, 16 out of the 24 finalists in football and basketball would proceed to an all-expense paid development program with partners including The Future Academy and Insurance coverage by Hygeia HMO.
Momoh noted that the selection criteria by the firm went beyond participant’s ability in sports to include leadership skill, teamwork spirit and their quality of being better sportspersons
“During this period, we are going to be tracking their progress on our platforms and after that one year, we believe their progress will be strong enough for us to take them to the next level of their career”, according to Momoh.
He explained that the firm aims to tap into 10 most viable cities in Africa including South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, cote devour and Egypt in a bid to achieving its five-year plan.
According to him, the firm has had a very good start as we have been in talks with the Nigerian Football Federation, Lagos state football association and the Nigerian basketball federation and all have shown positive vibes towards the firm new development.
He explained also that since inception two years back, the firm had only raised about $15000 as well as a $5000 it won from Greenhouse Lab to fund the project, however, it is very much open for partnership and willing to working with corporates partners in ensuring MatchMania becomes a fully-fledged programme.
“The partnership might not just be about money but also value as we welcome collaboration from industry players”, Momoh said.
