Sunday soccer teams get COVID-19 jab

TheVoiceBW
Moremogolo team

Maun Sunday social football clubs managed to get district health management team (DHMT) to open vaccination point on a Sunday, especially for them.

The two teams, 11 men and Moremogolo who were playing at Maun sports complex (Stadium) last week Sunday wanted to be vaccinated that same day, which they said was their only free day of the week.

“The football pitch is where the men meet on Sunday morning before they go for braai and drinks and as you know, men do not like injections so we thought we should encourage them to take the jab and save themselves and the community from high risk of COVID-19,” explained the club’s secretary general, Kenneth Balatheng in an interview this week.

Beaming with pride, Balatheng said he was happy that at least all members of the two teams have received their first jab.

- Advertisement -

In a campaign that comes right after president Mokgweetsi Masisi lifted the ban on alcohol sales and state of emergency, the teams took advantage of the stadium, which was already used as a vaccination point.

Eleven Men

“It was not so difficult to get DHMT to open on a Sunday because already the stadium has a vaccination centre. We are very grateful that despite their hectic work schedule, they managed to open the centre for us,” added Balatheng.

However only 10 members received a jab on Sunday because the rest had already received their first jab, “It is an ongoing campaign which we started soon after the country rolled out the vaccination programme. We encouraged our members to take the jab, so this Sunday all those who had not yet received the first jab got the opportunity to do so.”

According to Balatheng, Sunday football is all about socialising for mostly men. “Eighty to 90 percent of Sunday football clubs are men. That is where we sit and talk and drink beer, away from our homes,” he said

Eleven men player taking a jab

The clubs, he said, are however not all about entertainment but also do come up with initiatives that can bring positive change in their communities.

- Advertisement -

“We donate clothes or food hampers to the less privileged when we can, it is only that this past year and this one, COVID-19 made it difficult for us to meet. Again as we move towards festive season, we get different organisation to come and talk to our members on matters relating to social responsibilities including road safety among others,” Balatheng added.

As of October 15th, 2021, at least 618 979 Batswana had received COVID-19 first jab with 263 852 fully vaccinated.

This week the country moved to the third phase of vaccine programme that include 18 to 29 year-olds and reportedly COVID -19 cases continue to drop following a deadly wave, which ravaged the country during this past winter season.

- Advertisement -
Leave a Comment