Tokyo 2020: No ‘Plan B’ for another delay
Sport
The 2020 Olympics have already been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and there apparently isn’t an option to do that again in 2021. After being rescheduled to begin on July 23, 2021, the Tokyo Olympics organizers have no “Plan B” if they need to postpone come next year.
Tokyo Olympics communication department revealed that organizers are moving forward under the assumption that the Summer Games will open next July as scheduled. The COVID-19 virus has spread across the entire world and the newly scheduled Olympics are still 15 months away, but the pandemic has left people in most countries under quarantine indefinitely. It’s impossible to guess what the state of the outbreak will be next month, let alone next summer.
“All I can tell you today is that the new games’ dates for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been just set up,” Botswana National Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer, Tuelo Serufho said. “In that respect, Tokyo 2020 and all concerned parties now are doing their very best effort to deliver the games next year.”
Rescheduling the Tokyo Olympics to next July has not been cheap. Between travel, securing Olympic venues, and more, its all expected to cost more billions than expected. IOC president, Thomas Bach was quoted saying that the IOC would absorb “several hundred million dollars” in added costs due to the postponement. Under the Host City Agreement, Japan would be responsible for the majority of the expenses that come with a postponement.
“This is impossible to say for now,” Bach said of the added costs. “It is not very easy to estimate the exact amount of the games’ additional costs, which have been impacted by the postponement.”
Considering the amount of financial hurdles that the Olympics already have had to deal with due to the rescheduling, another postponement may not be economically possible – let alone difficult to pull off logistically.
However, the World Athletics has suspended the Tokyo Olympics qualification period until December 2020 due to the fast-spreading Covid-19 or coronavirus pandemic after consulting its athletes’ commission, area presidents and council. The news comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) deferred the Tokyo Summer Games to from July 23 to August 8, 2021.
During the period, results achieved at any competition will not be considered for Tokyo 2020 entry standards or world rankings, the publication of which will also be suspended. Results will continue to be recorded for statistical purposes, including for world records, subject to the applicable conditions but they will not be used to establish an athlete’s qualification status.
Subject to the global situation returning to normal, the qualification period will resume on 1 December 2020 and continue to the new qualification deadline in 2021 set by the International Olympic Committee. The total qualification period, which started in 2019, will be four months longer than it was originally.
Sport
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.
Sport
Big Guns for Botswana Grand Prix
The National Stadium will be lit up with fireworks on April 29, 2023, as some of the best international athletes will participate in the maiden Botswana Grand prix.
This content is locked
Login To Unlock The Content!
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.”