Coaches want players tested for Coronavirus
Sport
In a desperate bid to rescue football from the jaws of imminent death, Coaches Association of Botswana is preparing a proposal that speaks to mandatory testing by all premier league players.
This will also include non-playing staff members together with match officials and coaches themselves. The proposal is expected to be tabled before the Botswana Football Association (BFA) desk in the next coming weeks.
Coaches association believes that football should be back at the playing field owing to the sudden decry of players who worry about their future since mandatory lockdown regulations of combating the spread of COVID-19 were imposed about a month ago.
Coaches are of the view that they want to extend an olive branch to government so that all professional footballers know their status. The move is aimed at reviving football and be played behind closed doors as precautionary measures are still taken into consideration.
BFA is said to be in love with the idea but are to seek for serious advises from other stakeholders. The crunch talks will of course commence with this coaches association together with Footballer Union of Botswana (FUB).
We are suggesting to drop the letter after the 28th of April, we expect them to heed our call, it is necessary for all the footballing reasons. This is the case more because it will help the association to speed up the football season within the stipulated football period, shared one member of the coaches association.
Public health authorities, the world wide, have been concerned that, given the players direct contact with each other and close interactions with the general public, and in addition to their regular travels, they have been super accelerators of the virus.
And in the eyes of the coaches, part of the impetus for testing players is that they are quick spreaders who unknowingly spread other people. However, BFA is mindful of the scarcity of coronavirus testing equipment in the country.
They believe that this will need government buy-in as priority is given to those who came from highly infected areas and those showing symptoms. Currently, the government is embarking on contact tracing as a measure of containing the spread. Initially, the idea was to go for community testing to inform themselves of red zones in the country.
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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.”