The COVID-19 pandemic and worldwide lockdown has without doubt-taken toll on sporting activities, most of which forced to suspend their tournaments and leagues. In this articles we focus on how the pandemic has affected women in particular. I got to interact with Chioniso Mashakada, a sports journalist with Star FM and H-Metro who has had interviews with athletes across different sporting activities like soccer, cricket, netball among others. From this interaction we see that the situation has not only affected athletes but women in sports journalism as well. Here are some of the effects of the COVID-19 on women sport.
No source of income
Most women in sport solely relied on their various activities for a living, and with the suspension of tournaments and leagues, they have found themselves with no earnings at all. This has made it hard for them to survive during lockdown and pay for their bills, rentals, medical bills, gym among others. While some are breadwinners in their families, some are students who also need allowances so they can purchase data for e-leaning.
Contracts
Most athletes especially for sports like soccer, are given contracts at the beginning of every season, and the COVID-19 lockdown can before the season had started meaning that most of them do not have contracts for now. This literally means that they are currently unemployed. They remain uncertain as to whether their clubs will take them back or not. Some even had their contracts cancelled, and some have performance based contracts, meaning right now when there is no action they are not employed. This alone is stressful for the players.
Cancellation of international matches
For soccer teams, say for instance the Might Warriors, who were supposed to participate in the World Cup Qualifiers, the COVID 19 pandemic has been a stumbling block for them as they were looking forward to excelling in their careers at international level and perhaps get signed up by international clubs. Participating in international matches also meant exposure and more income as well, however all that was put to a stop by the pandemic and lockdown.
Physical Fitness
Physique is an important aspect in sport, and the COVID 19 induced lockdown means that athletes has less time or motivation to work out. Even though they can work out at home, it may not be as effective as working out as a team. Some might even be skipping out their fitness plans. Meaning that when sporting activities resume, it will take longer for the players/athletes to regain their fitness levels.
COVID 19 and Journalism
Women in sports journalism, especially freelancers, have found themselves with no source of income. Most freelancers survived on covering matches and being paid according to the number of stories they write. Therefore with matches having been cancelled, it’s hard for them to get any sports news. Even those who were permanently employed have also been affected as some have been retrenched from their jobs because media houses could no longer sustain a huge number of employees.