ASVG Gear Up For Post COVID-19 Environment
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday June 1, 2020 08:36
The conference attracted speakers from across Africa with Liberia president, George Weah delivering a key-note speech. ASVG board member, Game Mothibi told Sport Monitor that the online conference was meant to discuss how Africa sport is affected by COVID-19 and what could be done and who are the key players to assist in rebuilding Africa sport.
“The conference was also meant to interconnect Africa sport participants and appreciate each other and what each could bring to the table to make it for Africa. The event was also meant to assist governments, implementers and practitioners to understand what they may have to deal with post COVID-19 and for them to know that ASVG is available to provide solutions to some challenges,” Mothibi said.
The objective of ASVG is to look for partners, raise funds and invest its earnings into the sport industry of Africa in various ways. It also helps to transform the lives of communities in Africa through building or lobbying for facilities in those areas and create employment in the long run.
Mothibi said they believe that Africa is talented in sport and athletes often have to go to other countries especially Europe to fend for themselves and grow their talent there instead of in Africa.
“Of course, some give back to the continent but at ASVG we believe that we have potential as a continent to nurture our talent, utilise it in Africa, improve the lives of sportsmen and women in Africa and be more competitive as a continent,” she said.
Mothibi said they endeavour to translate all components related to sport into commercial value for the continent, being sport performance, supporters’ engagement and the human resource running sport. She explained that ASVG assists to profile Africa, African athletes and personnel to be more attractive to potential sponsors and endorsement.
“We are working hard to build partnerships and grow sport in the continent. We are also running programmes such as the recent online conference. We are planning sport business summit in October to discuss what it would take to sponsor, fund athletes or programmes in Africa and bring together funders and programmers to network,” she said.
ASVG is also running a collegiate league for basketball and football, which could have started and has been postponed due to COVID-19 and also running a campaign to encourage donating for student-athletes sponsorship fund. That would enable ASVG to assist in sponsoring some of Africa student-athletes and even make it possible to sponsor them in Africa universities.
Meanwhile, FIBA Africa president, Anibal Manave said eight African clubs would be gearing up for the final phase of the inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL). But the COVID-19 pandemic came and the highly-anticipated competition’s regular season is yet to take off. The season was due to run from March to May across six African countries with the Final Four scheduled for June in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.