It is in times like these as the world grapples to unriddle the mystery of a global pandemic which threatens to dethrone humanity, that the resilience of mankind really gets tested and mankind’s fighting spirit is pushed to the extremes. Since the first covid-19 case was reported in South Africa on 5 March 2020, the fight against this deadly virus still rages on, igniting a display of the most unprecedented united front that our nation has ever seen.

The sport sector was of course not spared the wreath of this virus. Sporting codes like boxing with their smaller economic muscle felt this impact the most. Our boxers have now gone for months without any income drawn from their sport of sweet science. Many others who earn their living by servicing this sector and playing a supportive role in the value chain of the sport, have also not been able to eke out a living for a while now.

The pandemic has thrown all of us into a deep end and required us of us to swim our way through stormy and unchattered waters. Of course, this swim to shore and escape to survival has not been without its casualties and without detriment to the lives and livelihoods of many South Africans. Many industries and sectors felt the harshest impact of this pandemic and even today many are still battling to recover.