The FINANCIAL — “A footballer's career is like a good film. It seems to just fly along and all of a sudden, it's over. I always look to the future. When you're playing all the time you're not aware of the years passing,” Kakha Kaladze, AC Milan football club Defender, and also successful businessman with investments in Georgia, Italy, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. (The Independent).
Sportsmen have two careers. As the rule private business is the second life for all retired sportsmen. Business does not require special education, Vakhtang Nacvlishvili, former basketball player of Georgian National Team says.
“For a former sportsman it is easier to switch to business. Sportsmen, in case of their successful career, are able to save capital. Business does not ask for special education. You just need some foreseeing, to predict which industry will be beneficial in future,” Vakhtang Nacvlishvili, told The FINANCIAL.
Nacvlishvili says that in case of entering business for a sportsman it is also enough to hire someone and let him lead your business.
“Few years ago I met a person in USA, who was a financial adviser of famous families. For me it was difficult to transfer him all my capital and let him control it. This system is more approved in USA. In my case it was against my mentality. Georgian genes did not let me to accept his proposal. But I know many cases when people who ruled their business themselves get bankrupted and others, who deal with advisers, are still well,” he notes.
Nacvlishvili already invested his capital in different types of businesses in order to get living wage. He thinks that he has not a future of successful businessman, as he has no “smell” for it.
Nacvlishvili believes that thinking about alternative profession is necessary for a sportsman from his childhood.
“I studied for a year in USA. If I would not collect the useful amount of credits I would not be able to play basketball. Until the end of 90th it was impossible to enter NBA until having diplomas. All NBA players were graduators of high schools. Alternative education is much useful. The most profitable way for capital investment is education. I think that combining studying with sport is possible,” Nacvlishvili notes.
On the contrary to Nacvlishvili, Vladimir Boisa, Georgian professional basketball player thinks that it is very difficult to start thinking about second career in your childhood. “Sport takes lots of time and energy and of course it’s hard when you are working on two fronts. Especially, when you are choosing sport as your future profession. Perhaps you can start thinking about choosing alternative profession and get some educational courses after achieving success. You can hardly find a person who can study and succeed in sport on the same time”.
Boisa was 11 years old when he started playing basketball. He says that basketball players can last their career till 35-36. “Lots of things depend on your physical power. But its fact that you can’t play so well at the age of 37, because young sportsmen are coming and they can change you easily”.
“I will do my best to last career until 36, with the correct nutrition and exercises,” he adds.
Boisa also mentions that many sportsmen after finishing career begin private business. But he has not yet decided where to continue working.
“I think to stay in basketball after the end of my active career. I exclude working as a coach because it takes lots of time. It is difficult to underline any concrete profession, which ex sportsmen choose after the end of their active career. It depends on a person, which sphere he is able to handle. Successful career gives opportunity to make friend with people whom you will be able to trust and make as your partner. As for me I have people around, whom I presume as my future partners,” Boisa mentions.
“I was seven years old when I started playing football. The profession of football players asks for toil, and you have to reject lots of things. I believe that if a football player is talented and successful, he will not reject this work just because of limited terms,” Beka Zakradze, 19, forward of Wit-Georgia, says.
“Sport career takes lots of time, especially when he has serious plans towards it, accordingly thinking about alternative profession is difficult,” Zakradze says.
Meanwhile Nacvlishvili thinks that sportsman reaches the professional level after 25, while we get education until this age. So, it is simple to combine studying with sport.
Zakradze thinks that it is too early for him, to start thinking about alternative career. “It will depend on my future football career. It is true, that sport asks for a lot of time, but general education is compulsory for the future career of sportsmen, when he will finish his career. As for me, I study foreign languages and think that it is much important for sportsmen,” he notes.
“In the career of sportsman it always comes a time when they start seeking for alternative job. Accordingly, if they do not have any other profession, they will face difficulties. Other way, he will stay in that sphere and will not develop in other cases. I have three children, two boys and a girl. My daughter is a tennis player and I already started thinking if I should continue investing money in her sport career,” Nacvlishvili says.
“I was six years old when I first entered basketball. I was studying hard at school. My mom was against my decision to become a sportsman. My dad insisted. I always wished to become a doctor. An only thing that I take to heart is that I do not have a second career of a doctor. I had to make a choice between basketball and medic. Medic’s profession is an only sphere that is difficult to be combined with sport. It asks for lots of time. I entered to the university and graduated the faculty of international law in Tbilisi State University. Still I do not feel myself as a lawyer. I keenly feel that I am not a doctor. I thought to study medicine now but it is a bit difficult,” Nacvlishvili says.
Nacvlishvili excludes working as a coach in local clubs, as the salary is minimal. “It exists several basketball clubs in Georgia, but they are not well planned. They do not exist with attracted finances from sponsors. In the view of business, basketball in Georgia is not developed. If I will start working as a coach in Georgia, I would have to pound one step”.
Written By Madona Gasanova
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