The Varsity Sports executive committee consisting of multi-media rights holder Advent Sport Entertainment and Media (ASEM), University Sports Company (USC), University Sports South Africa (USSA) and university representatives, agree that it is unlikely that there will be any normal sport tournaments for the rest of 2020.
They have therefore taken the decision to temporarily suspend all Varsity Sports tournaments for the rest of 2020. “It is unlikely that any normal sports tournaments will take place within the next 10 months,” said Francois Pienaar, ASEM CEO.
“We have therefore taken a principle decision to suspend all our sporting activities across universities until 2021.
“Our priority is to ensure the safety of our athletes and spectators, while also allowing universities and schools to return to the academic year.
“We will, however, remain ready to host certain tournaments should government regulations change regarding the hosting of sport events and academic calendars allow for tournaments to take place.”
ASEM will continue to monitor government regulations and is committed to ongoing communications to all stakeholders.
“Our focus now is to work with our commercial partners, USSA and the USC to develop the best possible calendar for 2021 and reintroduce a fresh new sporting landscape for youth sport. People remain our main priority and the health of our staff, the well-being and academic success of our athletes and supporters will always be placed first,” said Pienaar.
Through the established SpeakUp campaign, Varsity Sports will continue to raise awareness of the importance of mental health, especially during times of crisis.
The message of the SpeakUp campaign is clear – there is no health without mental health. Varsity Sports appreciates the efforts made by healthcare professionals in the fight against Covid-19.
