The Sunday News
FORMER Zimbabwe national cricket team captain Heath Streak has cleared the air over who owns the Heath Streak Multi Sports Academy which he founded.
An impression has been created in recent months that the academy’s chief executive officer Joseph Rego owned the facility located at McDonalds Sports Club in Suburbs.
However, Streak who is the Bangladeshi national cricket team pace bowling coach, rubbished the claims, and setting “the record straight” the former national team fast bowler said he held the most shares alongside Bulawayo business mogul Rajesh Modi.
“We lease the place from McDonald Club. There is no majority shareholder, Modi and I hold the biggest shares.
“There are no royalties for use of my name. It’s unfortunate that it just comes across like he (Rego) does own the place. That’s not the case,’’ said Streak this week.
Asked if it didn’t bother him that everyone thought Rego was the proprietor of the facility, Streak said he had no misgivings because that was not the correct position.
The notion that Rego is the owner of the academy intensified at a recent Africa Day cricket tournament which doubled up as the academy’s one year anniversary, where Streak played an insignificant role.
Those, who attended the function throughout, said Rego took centre stage and did not even mention the iconic former Zimbabwe captain in his speech. Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa was the guest of honour at the event.
Sources familiar with the goings on at the year-old facility disclosed that Streak and Rego who have been friends for over 10 years were not currently in the best of books because of the latter’s alleged love for grandstanding and prominence.
However, Rego on Thursday said that as the chief executive officer and the man who commenced the academy he had to play a “more outstanding role.”
“The academy is owned by a board of directors all with shares, I’m the CEO and executive director and one of the big shareholders.
“I’m the one who initiated the academy therefore I’m taking a more prominent role. Heath Streak did not speak at the one-year anniversary because he was busy with the cricket match on the day,’’ said Rego.
Besides Modi, Streak and Rego, the others with a stake in the entity are businessman Elifasi Mashaba, who is the chairman of the board, businessperson Viresh Naik, former Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart, Rego’s wife Mie Muraoka, Heath’s wife Nadine as well as Streak’s father Dennis.
Meanwhile, Rego disclosed that the facility would soon assume a new name to reflect the major bankrolling from Old Mutual and Modi.
