We, the undersigned, would like to bring to your attention the following issues with recommendations to petition to coaches, scouts, sport officials and sport fans to endorse the Sport-City Classic Invitation that will not only start a new culture in promoting sport in developing countries, but most importantly, eradicate the following challenges which amateur athletes in Africa face as they strive to further their athletic careers internationally:
· The lack of athletic platforms in Africa upon which amateur athletes in developing countries can showcase their skills to a global audience;
· Irregularities in recruiting international student-athletes in North America; and
· The exploitation of young African athletes in the Africa-to-U.S./European recruiting pipeline.
The Sport-City Classic Invitation is an excellent initiative for coaches and scouts worldwide to extend the geographic area of recruiting and have direct access to elite African athletic talents. Additionally, it will level the recruiting playing field for international coaches and scouts. But most importantly, initiatives like the Sport-City Classic Invitation will significantly eradicate the numerous exploitations experienced by amateur athletes in developing countries such as: human trafficking, prostitution, forced labour, amongst others.
For more information on the exploitation please reference to the following link:
1- http://www.footballfordevelopment.net/uploads/tx_drblob/storage/Poli_migration-of-African-football-players_01.pdf
2- http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/tag/_/name/african-recruiting-exploitation
