NETBALL’S E500 000 COVID-19 HEADACHE

MBABANE – The testing of close to 600 players will be a challenge for the Eswatini National netball association (ENNA) who are on a tight budget.

With a budget of only E20 000 given to each member of Netball Africa, ENNA would have to seek other financial resources to accommodate all of its members in the testing process. The association would have to part with at least E500 000 for the testing of all regional and elite teams’ players using the PCR test which costs E850 per head. The association has close to 40 affiliates, with each team comprising 15 members, which leaves a total of about 600 players excluding officials.

ENNA’s Secretary General Ntombikayise Masango said it was near impossible for both the regional and elite league to resume their tournaments under the current circumstances despite government having lifted the ban on netball and other ball games. Masango recalled that the projected date for the return of netball was July 10, 2020 as there were two pending games before the finals pitting the defending champions Correctional Services and league rivals Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS). ENNA is an association that solely depends on sponsorship, such as the league’s main sponsor Swaziland Building Society, Inhlonhla Investment Company and Eileen Light that have invested in league sponsorship in the past years.

Frustration

In light of this predicament, failure to raise the required amount would mean the worst for the teams who have voiced their frustration after being inactive for over one year. Masango said the elite teams would be first in line to test for COVID-19 since the regional teams had already completed their league before sports were put on ice following the spread of COVID-19, which forced the suspension of all sports activities. Masango said the E20 000 budget was money they were promised by Netball Africa’s COVID-19 Relief Fund. “The challenge is that we are on a tight budget and unfortunately the money still doesn’t reflect in our account as promised by Netball Africa. “Tests will be conducted before competitions. We will do what is affordable as long as we use what is required results but for now, we will test the teams that have to finish the pending games then take it from there. Resuming the league will be a challenge,” said Masango.

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