COVID-19 RELIEF FUND TO RECHARGE SPORTS- RAKGARE
BY:Kabelo Seleka
Minister of Youth,Sports and Culture Tumiso Rakgare has announced that sports will be recharged and benefiting from the recently established government Covid-19 relief fund.
The fund which government of Botswana created in response to the outbreak of the coval corona virus is intended to crowd source funds from the public and companies to compact the deadly disease.
The economically struggling sports industry has mostly indefinitely suspended its activities since the call by Sports Ministry.
The call resulted in financial implications particularly in professional setups such as football.
RAKGARE SAYS SPORTS WILL BENEFIT FROM COVID-19 RELIEF FUND
Rakgare says the fund is meant to help organisations that have been badly impacted by the virus including sports..He lamented to the media practitioners present as his press address that the stakeholders took the decision to suspend sports knowing the aftermath.
” The government has set up Covid-19 Relief Fund,we then have a system in place to relief who have been heavily impacted,we hope that even in sports we will benefit,echoed Rakgare.”
The country is currently on extreme social distancing for 28 days
BFA IS ASSSESSING THE SITUATION
Botswana Football Association(BFA) says it is assessing the situation as they welcome the Covid-19 Relief Fund.
BFA finances are reported to be badly impacted as a result of cancelled activities.
Among the activities are Orange FA Cup,BTC Premiership and World Cup Qualifiers for the national teams.
The football authority acknowledged that they will make make full assessment when the virus settles.
In a telephone interview with Sportsnation, BFA Public Relations Officer(PRO) Tumo Mpatane claimed that they have not yet calculated the repercussions of the virus.
“We have not quantified any financial losses as of now,but we are assessing the situation,any advice from the Ministry is now critical,lamented Mpatane.”
Moreover,Mpatane told Sportsnation that though most of the local teams make earnings from gate takings they may or may not take a decision to squash the 2019/2020 season.
He says this means maybe to be played behind closed doors in respect of the Covid-19.
Mpatane pointed out that the new season of 2020/2021 will start later than sooner.
Furthermore the association staff is working behind the scenes at home to prepare for upcoming major events such as August BFA Elective Congress.
BNOC NEEDS MORE FUNDING
The postponement of Tokyo 2020 Olympics means the country will have to find more monies to prepare the teams for the games.
The games which were scheduled this year in winter have been scheduled to 2021.
This move has resulted in more funding needed for Botswana National Olympic Committee(BNOC) to prepare for the highly anticipated games.
BNOC Chief Tuelo Serufho recently spoke to the media that they count on the government to come in handy with monetary support.
The call for Covid -19 Relief Fund came about following the outbreak of Corona virus.
The fund intends to subsidize economic repercussion on industries locally,sports being part of it.
The government has injected an amount of Two billion Pula into the relief fund.
