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ANPS distributes protection kits against COVID-19 to its members
ANPS president Abdoulaye Thiam (right) giving protection kits to Boubacar Niang (center) in the presence of Coumba Dia (left), president of ANPS Women’s Commission.
DAKAR, February 4, 2021 - In Senegal, football and basketball have resumed for almost a month behind closed doors, which was the only condition given by the government for resumption. The sports stakeholders accepted the condition to save the championships after almost 11 months of suspension. Only 90 people are allowed in each competition venue, among them a very limited number of sports journalists. “We are entitled to 15 journalists and photographers to cover a match, which is very few compared to the number of requests we receive,” President of the National Sport Press Association of Senegal (ANPS), Abdoulaye Thiam stated.
This limitation of the number of sports journalists in stadiums is part of the measures to avoid the spread of coronavirus. To comply with it, ANPS has set up a special system for the issuance of accreditations. At each competition site, the ANPS is in charge of collecting the accreditations from the organisers and handing them out to the journalists who have to cover the matches in that venue. This procedure prevents journalists from gathering and thus prevents the risk of contact.
“We held a meeting with the Senegalese Football Federation in order to ensure media coverage of the championship in the best conditions. Following the recommendations of this meeting, we have implemented this system in the seven regions where the matches are taking place and so far, we have managed to comply with the instructions of the sports authorities,” Thiam added.
However, this is not easy to manage, especially when it comes to games with large crowds. “We had a match recently between the TFC and Jaraf, two clubs that play in the African league. We received more than 30 applications for accreditation, which is well beyond what is allowed.”
To make sports media professionals accept the situation, ANPS continues to raise awareness and invite journalists to show responsibility in this difficult period of pandemic.
A few weeks earlier, the ANPS had taken the initiative to better prepare journalists who will be called to the field of operations. Thus, a delegation led by the president, Abdoulaye Thiam went to Saint-Louis (northern region), Thies (70 km from Dakar) and Mbour (west) to distribute kits containing hand sanitizers, masks, pack of soaps and thermoflash.
The same operation was carried out in the suburbs of Dakar, where the same items were distributed to more than 40 journalists. The ANPS board members also went to Ziguinchor (Southern Senegal) before completing the loop through Dakar, notably in some sports editorial offices to distribute the protection kits.
This limitation of the number of sports journalists in stadiums is part of the measures to avoid the spread of coronavirus. To comply with it, ANPS has set up a special system for the issuance of accreditations. At each competition site, the ANPS is in charge of collecting the accreditations from the organisers and handing them out to the journalists who have to cover the matches in that venue. This procedure prevents journalists from gathering and thus prevents the risk of contact.
“We held a meeting with the Senegalese Football Federation in order to ensure media coverage of the championship in the best conditions. Following the recommendations of this meeting, we have implemented this system in the seven regions where the matches are taking place and so far, we have managed to comply with the instructions of the sports authorities,” Thiam added.
However, this is not easy to manage, especially when it comes to games with large crowds. “We had a match recently between the TFC and Jaraf, two clubs that play in the African league. We received more than 30 applications for accreditation, which is well beyond what is allowed.”
To make sports media professionals accept the situation, ANPS continues to raise awareness and invite journalists to show responsibility in this difficult period of pandemic.
A few weeks earlier, the ANPS had taken the initiative to better prepare journalists who will be called to the field of operations. Thus, a delegation led by the president, Abdoulaye Thiam went to Saint-Louis (northern region), Thies (70 km from Dakar) and Mbour (west) to distribute kits containing hand sanitizers, masks, pack of soaps and thermoflash.
The same operation was carried out in the suburbs of Dakar, where the same items were distributed to more than 40 journalists. The ANPS board members also went to Ziguinchor (Southern Senegal) before completing the loop through Dakar, notably in some sports editorial offices to distribute the protection kits.
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