Latest Appointments
South African star quits football for La Manga Club role
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- Category: Appointments
- Created on Friday, 19 October 2012 11:25
The 30-year-old South African has been appointed international sports manager at the award-winning Spanish complex after confirming his retirement from the game earlier this month.
La Manga Club is regarded as the best sports and leisure destination in Europe with three 18-hole championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre, football and cricket pitches among its first-class facilities, and Harpur will be responsible for helping to develop new business opportunities, not just with football but from the wider European sporting spectrum.
"La Manga Club is an awesome place so I'm looking forward to that,” said Harpur.
"All the top clubs in Europe as well as national teams train at the La Manga Club during the off season or when they get a week off during the season to get some good weather training and I'm hoping to bring Bafana Bafana here in future."
Harpur’s arrival at La Manga Club coincides with the appointment of Jose Moya as the resort’s new national assistant director of sales for football and rugby.
The pair are joining the top Spanish complex at a busy time and at the end of a busy summer which saw the resort host top Spanish sides Levante and Granada and top Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv in July, as well as staging the hugely popular Real Madrid and AC Milan Junior Soccer Camps.
The venue, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, boasts eight international-standard grass pitches and, during the first three months of 2012 alone, some 82 different teams stayed at the five-star resort to play and train.
Liverpool, Celtic, Wigan Athletic and Borussia Dortmund are among the other clubs to have used La Manga Club’s outstanding football pitches, training facilities and accommodation in recent years.
The complex’s success in attracting sports biggest names is not just limited to the football front.
British tennis number ones Andy Murray, Laura Robson, Elena Baltacha and Tim Henman have all taken advantage of the resort’s extensive tennis facilities in recent years, superstars including Seve Ballesteros, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Luke Donald feature heavily in its golfing history while Glamorgan is one of many county cricket teams to have visited.
In addition to its sporting facilities, La Manga Club has a 2,000sqm spa and fitness centre included amongst its leisure amenities to ensure there is plenty to enjoy for those seeking a more relaxing time from the sporting front.
