He deserved whatever sort of congratulations but this brand of parading for Mbwana Samata exceeded limitations without due regard to his lifestyle and football future.
Barely five years ago we had Hasheem Thabeet who hit NBA franchise with a bang but where he is now? We must be careful for what would possibly happen to a budding talent who might go down the drain if and only if he or she thinks he has done enough. For Samata he still has much to prove and scale above the ladder for the next decade or so.
According to one business dictionary, a milking strategy is one in which generation of short-term revenues is given higher priority than long-term concerns, such as brand development or stability of the company. In summary, milking strategy is aimed at creating profits quickly.
Last week, the entire nation went ecstatic as our very own Samata was crowned the 2015 African Player of the year based in Africa. We were all happy for Samata, for the nation regardless of whether we loved football or not.The nation would be forgiven for all the Samata-mania that followed but a critical look reveals several concerns worth taking note of in foresight.
While it was okay to plan meet and greet events for Samata to allow fans, stakeholders and the public general to connect with their idol, the events were rather overdone.
The meet and greet events stretched to almost a week. From the time he touched down at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Samata became an exhibit moved from one point to another with little regard to his lifestyle as a player.
A footballer has to follow a certain rhythm of practice, rest and playing in order to perform at a high level. The pattern never changes, it is only the intensity that varies. So while Samata was in a short holiday, his lifestyle pattern as a footballer needed to maintain its own rhythm.
Samata has been paraded around like a supermodel for a whole week. In contrast Gabonese international, Pierre Aubameyang who won a superior prestigious award, the African Player of the year, meet-and-greet functions did not last two days.
Aubameyang’s meet-and-greet functions were done within the shortest time possible with the utmost regard to his professional career as a footballer who needs to live within a certain lifestyle needed for high performance on the pitch.
What we saw in Samata was nothing short of an exploitation strategy aimed at making a quick buck for some. Those who organised Samata’s events were more concerned with maximum exposure and profit. They pushed Samata to ridiculous levels including writing for him a speech that did not acknowledge the contribution of key stakeholders.
Simba, African Lyon and his boyhood club, Kimbangulile FC were not even mentioned in the speech that forced murmurs from the audience and prompted Samata to admit that everything was written down for him without his input.
Those with long memories have not forgotten how Thabeet career took a downward trajectory after he came to the country and was paraded around to everyone for days while his competitors were busy training.
When he went back to the NBA, the once destined for a great future basketballer was never the same again. He had lost something while being paraded around, while his competitors gained something. In high level competition where every advantage counts, Thabeet came undone. He never found his way back.
It is no wonder, Samata’s manager is already concerned. His fear is based on solid grounds. The manager knows that these endless events could affect Samata’s on-field performance.
What we have seen in the past week is a milking strategy that is not good at all for Samata’s future.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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