A venture started by Benson Chukwueke (President/
CEO); GreenHunters Sports International has been operating for 5 years and has
grown to team up with some international organizations, which now expanded
their operations worldwide.
GreenHunters, located in Lagos Nigeria, is a Sport
Marketing and Management Consult also involved in recruitment and placement of
football players from Africa. Through a process of several collaborations, the
firm has open windows of opportunities that happen to be really good for
football in Nigeria.
Football recruitment Agencies haven’t been as quick
in pursuing the business of bridging the gap for talents in Africa. Using
different ‘Pushing Strategies,’ GreenHunters has capitalized on their own
marketing expertise to build an unparallel system of placing African players
more accurately around the World.
GreenHunters has already experienced success with
the recruitment of eight players – two into professional teams in Eastern
Europe; three into youth teams and another three into Scholarship programs in
USA Universities.
They are hoping to expand into other West African
countries, but are currently focusing their effort on the excellent transfer of
both male and female footballers in Nigeria.
Their goal is to achieve $100 Million in contracts
offered to African players each summer transfer market operations. And
Chukwueke is so obsessed about achieving the feat in the next few years. We sat
down with him and asked few questions about this venture.
1.
How
did you come up with the idea of starting up this business?
I used to be a football player that when I saw all the
needs waiting for someone to fill it.
- How millions of talents waste away in this part of the world
- How football career dreams of young African players fade away just like that… And I felt like there has to be a better way of harnessing these large numbers of talents available for recruitment.
First, I had to go and study Sport Marketing and
Management in 2007. Then I started operations from home in 2009, after I sold
the vision to my wife and later I had to engage a lawyer to handle legal matters.
GreenHunters has made several steps forward, but of course, there are still lots of grounds to cover.
2.
What
are the major Challenges militating against this type of Business?
- There are few real opportunities to actually transfer African players abroad. It’s quite difficult to penetrate Europe for instance.
- Then lack of funds to execute recruitment projects – to organize or send players to trial camps to test their suitability.
- Players ineptitude, which stem from fear of falling victim to fraudsters; poverty mentality and general unpreparedness to take up opportunities that come their way.
3.
What
is the most valuable trait/ skill a young entrepreneur should have?
It got to be Passion and Diligence.
- Passion to succeed!
Passion will keep you awake at night.
Passion will keep you going when everyone has said
NO to you!
Passion will inspire you to go the extra mile when
things get really hard.
- Diligence is another important trait – careful dealing,
persistence in getting better and continual
improvement in the job.
That’s what attracts partners, customers; capital,
profit and soon you will be sitting among the most important people in your
industry.
4. What are your recommendations to young
entrepreneurs?
Follow your dreams without fear of failure.
Everyone fails and it’s OK.
What matters most is that lesson you learn from it
and how you dust up yourself to continue running. Believe, you will get there
someday and your success story will be huge.
