OPINION PIECE
SA’s athletes have only recently been
allowed back on the track, as all sport
facilities were initially closed due to the
COVID-19 lockdown
The Fast vs The Many
(In the Time of COVID)
COVID-19 has had an impact on the world that we will probably only fully understand in years to come. It has certainly
divided opinion how to deal with a public health crisis. Seldom has a relatively straightforward issue delivered up so many
diverse opinions and made scientists publicly argue and contradict each other so much. However, this article is not about
that, it is about how the virus has exposed one of the underlying flaws with how sport, and athletics in particular, is organised
in South Africa. And it has raised the question whether competitive running and mass participation events can live together in
harmony. – BY JAMES EVANS
Before I even get into details, I need to point out
that everything I say in this article must be read
with the following in mind: From day one I have
taken this virus seriously. I have never believed it was
‘just the flu,’ nor have I believed that anyone currently
understands the full impact that it can have on a
human body (other than causing it to stop functioning
completely). We simply do not know if it will cause
long-term health problems. I also don’t believe we
can wait for a vaccine to miraculously save the world.
Previous pandemics have passed before a vaccine
was discovered – in 1918 they did not even know
what a virus was, let alone how to develop a vaccine
for it, but that pandemic passed.
The most logical way to deal with a contagious
disease is to prevent transmission. If the goal is
to stop the virus, then stopping it spreading is the
obvious way. Social distancing, or keeping a distance
from others, is the starting point. Cleaning hands,
and the surfaces that others touch, etc, are other
important measures, but keeping a distance is the
starting point. So, how can a sport such as athletics
continue in this world of social distancing? The
standard answer, thus far, is that it can’t.
Just think of the packed start lines at Comrades, or
the SPAR 10km women’s races, etc. Or the last hour
of Comrades, when more than half the field comes
in. Social distancing is simply not possible, so we
simply can’t allow normal races to happen. But that
is not the end of the story. Just as the pandemic
has highlighted the already existing inequalities in
society, and the vastly different experiences of people
based on where they live and if they are employed
or not, it has brought into sharp focus the structural
problems with sport in this country. I will start with
some observations about sport in general, then deal
with athletics.
AS ALWAYS, MONEY TALKS
Everywhere in the world, sport is an industry that can
generate a large amount of money, if run properly.
Professional football players are paid sums which
are generally considered absurd, but it reflects their
commercial value. Think of the shirt sales generated
when a top footballer joins a new club. Look at the
stadia that are filled with fans every week, all having
paid good money for their tickets. Then there are the
television rights, which mean that someone the other
side of the globe is paying to watch that player in
action.
Then think of the spin-off industries: Kit
manufacturers, who sell sets of kit to teams and
replica kit to fans. The top teams are sponsored,
but the local pub team also has to get its shirts from
somewhere. And the shoes, boots, etc. And the balls,
bats, gloves. Those industries are all there because
of sport.
Sure, parkruns are free, but consider this: A parkrun in
South Africa with only 500 participants is a small one,
but let’s use that figure. A pair of running shoes goes
for at least R1500. A pair of shorts? You’re lucky to
get away with R60. And those moisture-management
shirts? Let’s say R120 on average. (No-one seems
to use cotton T-shirts at parkruns.) On those modest
figures, we are talking of around R875,000 just for one
parkrun each Saturday. And there are 225 around the
country. That’s potentially R197m in sport gear, just at
parkruns!
And leaving aside the straight commercial value, we
also need to consider the therapeutic value for those
who watch sport. Thus shutting down sport hurts
more than just the people participating.
THE REOPENING DEBATE
Even with the pandemic far from over, many overseas
professional leagues have started participating again.
They took the necessary precautions, and thus far
they have operated with little risk. Also, we must
not forget the value of top sportspeople leading by
Images: Reg Caldecott & Roger Sedres/ImageSA
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ISSUE 132 JULY 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za