BOTSWANA FOOTBALL PLAYERS YET TO RECEIVE COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDS
BY:Kabelo Seleka
Botswana football players are yet to receive their stipends from the government Covid-19 relief fund.
The government of Botswana through Ministry of Youth Empowerment ,Sports and Culture announced that all Debswana First Division and BTC Premiership footballers will be paid P1500.00 and P2500.00 respectively to reduce the repercussions of the coval corona virus on local footballing clubs wage bills.
Sports Commentators believe that Botswana football teams are hardly hit by the virus since mostly rely on gate takings,since April 2,Botswana has been in lock-down without any sporting activity.
The covid-19 Relief Fund set by Botswana government came as a response to the outbreak of the pandemic to crowdfund for industries hardly hit by corona including sports particularly professional athletes as pronounced by Minister Tumiso Rakgare.
BOTSWANA FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARE EXPECTING 3 MONTHS ALLOWANCE
First Division South team player known to Sportsnation narrated that they are supposed to have received the money from April,and now in June,they have not received anything.
“We have not received anything after such a long time,we are just being told that it is being processed over and over again with minimum communication from the authorities,lamented the player.”
The allowance expected to be paid out to footballers is for three months.
FIRST DIVISION FOOTBALL TEAM IS OPTIMISTIC
Debswana First Division side Union Flamingo Santos remains hopeful and optimistic that the much anticipated Covid-19 Relief Fund allowance will report.
Speaking to this publication Santos Welfare Manager Dennis echoed that even though the allowance is due,the authorities at the Sports Ministry are constantly communicating.
“There are a few teams that didn’t satisfy the requirements so ke tsone di diileng. But they’re hopeful gore mo bekeng e tlaabo dilo di siame. It’s just a minor hiccup. If there’s anything else ba bua. They’re very communicative,said Dennis.”
BFA AVAILS P40 000 FOR CLUBS
It is also reported that the Botswana Football Association(BFA) only paid each elite club P40 000 as a relief measure while awaiting FIFA emergency funding.
Moreover,Sunday Standard newspaper in April reported that the BFA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mfolo Mfolo said that BFA has submitted cumulative wage bill of the premier league(Botswana football players) teams to the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) for their consideration.
Ministry’s phone rang unanswered at the time for publication.
The player’s subsidy is part of the P70 million set aside by the ministry to mitigate the novel corona virus impacts in Sports.
