The tunnel at the end of the light
Mqondisi Dube | Friday June 11, 2021 13:27
The minister’s announcement on Tuesday shone a light on a comatose industry that has been lying haplessly for more than a year. Some local footballers have not kicked a ball in a competitive match since March 2020.
There are fears some players have quit while others have ventured into other sectors in a bid to salvage a living.
The sport was already losing top talent before COVID-19 due to the few rewards on offer. COVID-19 could have accelerated the decline of some codes, with some athletes lost for good.
It has been a dark period for most of the codes since the decision to suspend sport activities in March 2020. Only a few athletes have been active, with most national teams seeing intermittent action. Sports administrators and fans’ voices were growing hoarse with repeated calls for the return of sport. Football, the most popular of the sports pile, had the most vocal proponents, who wanted to see an immediate return. Comparisons were made with, first some of the countries in the region, and later, with the rest of the continent on how they had managed to get back to play despite the COVID-19 threat.
Thirsty football fans dug into current affairs and posted clips showing how widespread football action was on the continent. They blamed the Botswana Football Association (BFA) for a lackadaisical approach to the ‘return-to-play’ push. The BFA passed the blame baton to the pandemic, arguing the health situation in the country was against the resumption of football activities.
The Footballers Union of Botswana cranked up the pressure on the BFA, accusing the association of failing to push health authorities and the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development into re-opening the sector.
BFA president, Maclean Letshwiti indicated their hands were tied but dismissed as ‘rubbish’ FUB’s assertion the mother body was not showing enough intent. As hopes began to fade, with some players retreating in despair, Rakgare provided the light that sport and football had yearned for.
On Wednesday, the minister announced the lifting of the ban, a decision which was met with collective relief from the sports fraternity. But some have warned, this does not signal uhuru as others would want to believe.
For football, the consistent chorus was “we are waiting for the government to re-open” when an inquiry about the return of play was made. But now, with the government announcing the lifting of the ban, the well-trodden excuse has been rendered redundant.
Reality has struck and it is now time for a corresponding reaction to support the light that the minister’s words shone on sports.
However, it could be a hard and long path ahead for most codes, particularly football. COVID-19 tests could prove prohibitive and so will costs associated with compliance. But even before the clubs reach that bridge, the mother body and the Botswana Football League have an array of pending sponsorship issues to address.
When the 2019-2020 season came to an abrupt end, so did the sponsorship deal with BTC, which has poured millions into the game since making their football debut in 2009. The league has no title sponsor, although BFA officials said there could be something by the time football returns. The five-year broadcasting contract expired, ending a deal criticised by many. Critics argued the deal did not benefit football after the BFA and Botswana Television, through the Department of Broadcasting Services, signed a cashless deal for the last two years of the partnership.
The clubs felt the financial pinch as a result, with grants dwindling. This was reflected through the majority of clubs defaulting on players’ payments. At the end of last season, there was no prize money. All these developments unfolded before COVID-19 struck.
Now football has to mastermind a turnaround in the midst of a pandemic.
A Houdini Act is needed amid the challenges that lie ahead. After the lifting of the sports ban, there is nowhere to hide. Administrators no longer enjoy the luxury of drawing from the usual template “we are waiting for the government to re-open.”
That excuse no longer exists for football and other sport codes. The absence of football fans at the stadium will represent one of the biggest challenges.
In addition to all the costs related to adhering to COVID-19 protocols, football will have to make do without its cash cow, the fans. Supporters will not be allowed to attend games until further notice, which will severely impact the bottom line. Rakgare’s words could have appeared like the shining light at the end of the tunnel. But with the challenges that lie ahead, there could be a dark tunnel ahead.