Sandton-based LaLiga and Durban’s Hollywoodbets to search for the new ‘spidermen and Legs of Thunders’

The professional Spanish football league, LaLiga, which has its Africa office in Sandton, has partnered with Hollywood bets to develop grassroots football in the country.

The deal will run until the end of the current 2019/20.

“We intend to get involved in sports development, especially in the sphere of football, in which we want to keep our youngsters out of mischief while at the same time helping them to take care of their bodies through various lifestyle programmes,” said Hollywoodbets operations executive Sandisiwe Bhengu.

Alexandra’s legendary goalkeeper, Brian Baloyi, popularly known as Spiderman during his heydays at Kaizer Chiefs and later Mamelodi Sundowns, has been appointed ambassador of the Durban-based betting company, along with former Orlando Pirates lethal striker Jerry ‘Legs of Thunder’ Skhosana.

“We intend to become vigorously involved in a wide search for the Spiderman and the ‘Legs of Thunder’ of the future. If you look at it most of the strikers in our league are foreign nationals, including the goalkeepers too. We want to go out there, in our townships and rural areas, in search of talent that can one day set the LaLiga ablaze in as much as Benni McCarthy, Nasief Morris and Tshepo Masilela have done,” Bhengu added.

LaLiga’s African managing director based in South Africa, Marcos Pelegrin described the country as a strategic market for LaLiga and said by partnering with Hollywoodbets which had a proven track record of supporting development teams within their communities and having supported more than 140 teams within just the past year, they were hoping to take sports development, and in particular football, to another level.

“This partnership further reinforces LaLiga’s investment in the country and mission to develop football at a local level. Through this partnership it will become possible to reach more up-and-coming players and teams on the ground,” Pelegrin said at a press conference held at Kopano Location in Sandton.

He added that the partnership would support LaLiga South Africa activities such as the LaLiga Future Players initiative that has seen LaLiga uplift many disadvantaged youths who aspire to become professional football players.

Related article:

https://alexnews.co.za/120102/laliga-for-womens-soccer/