Covid-19 second wave increasing threat to Boksburg sporting clubs
Sport drought threatens to continue this year too
The ongoing threat of the pandemic, which is increasingly taking lives on a daily basis, is hurting sporting clubs in Boksburg – with financial flow the biggest concern, athletes’ lives aside.
The Advertiser spoke to numerous sporting clubs to find out the extent of setbacks the pandemic has caused and how they are surviving.
Gavin Bennett, president of the Boksburg Cardinals Baseball Club
We don’t have any sponsors at the club. We rely totally on our subs to keep the club going. The pandemic has been a major problem as we have staff that we have to pay. The money only lasts for a while but as we are not getting any money from subs or through the tuck shop, it is a major problem. We have tried to keep everybody getting something and our members have also contributed money to keep the club alive but as you know, everyone has their own challenges and things are really getting tough. For a club that has been going for nearly 75 years, it will be very sad if we have to close.
Willem Botes, Makopano Boksburg Rugby Club chairperson
Luckily our sponsors are still on board and we’re really now waiting for further updates from the President on February 15 when he gives the country an update concerning the lockdown. Luckily the pub and restaurant at the club is still functioning and the little money we receive from there is really helpful but is not enough. As far as rugby is concerned, we have a plan in place in case sport is given the go-ahead. We are ready for some rugby and to get players back in playing form, but all will be clearer when we get an update from the government.
Marius de Vos, East Rand United chairperson
As you may know, we lost our main sponsor Phakisa and work had begun in finding a new main sponsor for the club, but the pandemic hit which disrupted all our plans. The club has no sponsor but we are working on getting a logistics company here in Boksburg on board. We are not yet ready to reveal the name. The club’s clubhouse has also been a setback financially after it was vandalised by the community during a service delivery strike.
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