USAIN BOLT touched down in Australia on Saturday to an expected media circus.
Bolt will begin training with the Central Coast Mariners on Tuesday, hopeful of locking down a contract with the Hyundai A-League. The training session will be held at Central Coast stadium at Gosford.
Bolt will be speaking from around 10am.
Whether you scoff or spark at the signing of Bolt to the Central Coast Mariners, for what has been labelled an “indefinite training period”, his arrival is sure to create a massive amount of interest. It already has.
The superstar sprinter is regarded as one of the greatest Olympic athletes of all time.
His sporting credentials on the athletics track are without peer.
And in terms of promotional worth, his appeal – built through his athletic feats but enhanced because of his laid-back Jamaican personality – has attracted global sponsors in the likes of Puma, Gatorade and Visa.
Despite barely competing in 2017, Bolt still ranked at No. 45 on Forbes 2018 list of The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes.
The number might not appear high, but given he competed in a sport which attracts sparse regular interest compared to big-time American and European sports, it’s a fair pointer to his level of stardom.
Last week, an Australian betting company put out a ‘where will Bolt party first?’ betting market. Incredibly, not a single Central Coast venue appeared on the list.
Read more: Birthday boy Bolt begins Mariners stint
Sydney venues Ivy, Marquee and Chinese Laundry all featured prominently.
However, there was no room for Terrigal’s Florida Beach Bar, Gosford’s Pulse Nightclub or the Patonga Beach Hotel.
The market is a sign of the scepticism that somewhat exists over his Mariners deal.
Bolt is a renowned partygoer and loves Australia. He has appeared at Melbourne’s spring racing carnival and been a host DJ at numerous events.
So it will be interesting to see how he spends, and enjoys, his time on the coast.
The Mariners will have spent a decent whack of coin to get the 31-year-old down under, but it’s not as if needs the money.
That’s what makes the deal so interesting.
Has he come to Australia for an eight-week holiday, or is this a genuine attempt to become a full-time footballer?
“Boltmania” will certainly grip the coast and the Australian sports media until he proves his intentions one way or the other.
From his comments at Sydney Airport on Saturday, he seems serious about the stint. And it’s hard not to take the big man at face value.
But with no public guarantee of A-League game time, when will he play?
The club is charging $15 entry for a trial at Central Coast Stadium on Friday, August 31. Hospitality packages are available as well.
Could that be the first strike of Bolt on the coast?
