G.U.D. Holdings tackles youth development through sport

G.U.D. Holdings is proud to announce a decade of support for, and partnership with the Sharks Academy. Youth development is at the heart of the company’s values in terms of giving back to the community, and the Sharks Academy is at the forefront in terms of providing a platform to educate and uplift young talent.

Chris Haworth, CEO at G.U.D. Holdings, said the company was excited to partner with the Sharks Academy to once again develop local youth for the 10th consecutive year. “Our social investment strategy is underpinned by youth empowerment and we believe education is the most important aspect of youth development,” he said. “We are happy to support an institute such as the Sharks Academy, which pairs tertiary education with a sports development programme. We look forward to witnessing these students become promising athletes in future.”

This year, Kyle Zinn, Halalisani Mswane and Andile Mkhontwana were selected to receive educational bursaries, which afford students from disadvantaged communities the opportunity to pursue their professional sporting careers with the added advantage of tertiary education.

The Sharks Academy is a world-class facility that is accredited by SA Rugby and backed by a strategic partnership with The Sharks. It offers a holistic approach to player development, encompassing a balanced academic, sports and life skills program, with access to world-class facilities and coaching in a safe and secure environment.

Mike Horak, The Sharks High-Performance Manager elaborated on the academy’s relationship with G.U.D. Holdings. “We are proud of the relationship we have developed with G.U.D. over the past 10 years. The Sharks Academy is excited and grateful for the continuous support and bursary sponsorship from the G.U.D. team. The contribution made to these young learners allows us to not only make a difference, but it assists us greatly in paving a path and preparing these young learners for life after sport and studies, which is something very important to us.” Said Horak.