Players’ welfare compromised-FIFpro
Sport
A newly released survey on global employment has uncovered that football players’ welfare is compromised whilst other unsporting behaviour like violence and discrimination are rife in the game.
The survey by FIFpro which was done in 13 African countries confirmed what has been the belief of many football advocates-that players are being subjected to an abusive environment while they are expected to bring results. “Many players – more than 40% do not receive timely payment of their salaries, many face abusive practices such as forced training alone, forced transfers or contract renewals or are subject to violence and discrimination,” Football Union Botswana (FUB) Secretary General, Kgosana Masaseng said in a statement.
Botswana which was one of the surveyed countries has given FIFpro a very bad picture especially regarding medicals and contract of the players. “As in other African nations, players in Botswana are often left to recover from injury without medical or financial assistance. Half the players that were surveyed were not satisfied with medical support from their clubs,” the FIFpro report says.
Seboloko Khutsafalo (BDF XI) and Boniface Makolo (Mochudi Centre Chiefs) are some of the players that had their football careers die off as their clubs had failed to boot their medical bills. Fifty percent of the players according to research are unsatisfied with medical support from their teams.
The local elite league which is made up by 91% Batswana players has 40% of players without contracts. This, according to FUB, is seen as another backward force as football is aiming for professionalization.
Unlike in other surveyed countries, the local football’s employment pressure is minimal. “Forty percent do not have a copy of their contract, leaving them unprotected when things go wrong. The players union said it recently helped draw up a new standard contract and club licensing system with football authorities that are turning around the working conditions of its members,” the FIFpro report revealed.
Botswana has registered only 2% on abusive matters of players forced to train alone with 17% of the players having conceded being forced to renew the current contract. According to the survey which is the biggest research project ever conducted by FIFpro and the largest study of its kind in all professional sport, 39% of the players in Botswana posses University degrees and vocational training. This in turn has some players not being certain of their future in football. “29% are insecure about football as employment,” the report briefly noted.
The report is expected to be used by team leaders in their route to professionalism. It is further expected to give FUB a light on how players’ rights are being trampled upon.
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Orange injects P350 000 into Phikwe marathon
Mobile network Orange Botswana is committed to supporting the development of local sport. Through its sponsorship, the company will be able to promote and market the sport. According to Maano Masisi, the company believes that sport can unite people from different backgrounds.
He stated that through the sponsorship of the marathon, the company will help promote healthy lifestyles and unity among the people of Selebi Phikwe.
The Selebi Phikwe Marathon is scheduled to take place on July 29, 2023. It is expected that it will attract international, regional, and social runners. A total of P216 000 has been allocated for the prize money for the first ten places in the 42.2 km race. For the 15km and 10km races, the LOC will give away prizes to the first five places.
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Sport
AFRICA’S RECOVERY: Sports as game changer
The year 2022 witnessed unprecedented phenomena. Several Africans- Gotytom Gebreslase, Sharon Lokedi, Victor Kiplangat, Tamarit Tola and many others- swept the World’s marathons records.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting control measures implemented in several countries, led to many high-level sports competitions being cancelled or shelved, the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games was moved to 2026.
Founder and Executive Chairman, African Sports and Creative Institute, Will Mabiakop, says the inability to hold traditional and amateur sports events have had a serious effect on public health overall, including mental health, sparking a revolution whereby athletes began to talk more openly about stress, mental overload and performance anxiety.
“Africa is home to the fastest growing economies before the crisis, no longer on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). COVID-19 deepened interdependence between SDGs, making them harder to achieve, especially SDG 10 (reducing inequality) and SDG 5 (gender equality_ as the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on poorer countries, and heavier burdens (such as care work) fell to women.”
Mabiakop stresses that as policymakers contemplate actions to speed up recovery and build resilience, they must argue that sports and creative businesses should play a central feature in this effort.
“The sports economy worldwide is estimated at 5% of GDP, but only 0.5% in Africa. If exploited, Africa’s sports and creative industries can offer policymakers innovative solutions. Especially, as regards job creation, and providing employment to the 15 million people entering the job market annually.”
HOW CAN THE INDUSTRY DO THIS?
By leveraging the two-for-one concept: past studies shown that a 1% growth in the economy delivers a 2% job increment in this sector (these ratios are calculated using data from 48 African countries and adjusted to the reality of the sports economy in Africa by the authors). There are between 30 and 50 job types, in sports and creative industries, respectively. These jobs do not fade away with the first major shock.
Mabiakop indicated that policymakers can use these industries to tackle multiple crises- jobs, poverty, and climate risks. Sports diplomacy- defined as communication, representation and negotiation in or through the prism of sports- has proven effective in building inclusive and cohesive societies. Moreover, sports and the creative industry can support better mental health and well-being, both important for productivity.
“Policymakers can also be true to the game by leveraging culture and tradition to celebrate identity and reap commercial value in sports, textiles and jewelry. Creative sectors allow deeper connection with culture, are not easily copied and provide great economic potential.”
He said supporting grassroots sports has powerful distributional effects. “Fortunately, technology has made reaching wide audiences easier, generating higher rates of success when talent is discovered.”
However, Mabiakop held that potential pitfalls must be highlighted. “First avoid build it and they will come policies with infrastructures denuded from the rest of the ecosystem. Like the many sports stadiums left largely unused.”
“Policymakers must remain mindful of how these sectors move the needle in human capital development. Also, align the requisite public policies needed for progress from grassroots participation to professional sports, and even to international sporting events. They should also support investment instruments to render these sectors performant.”