Welfare in sport must be a priority

Over the years we have been given reports of former sportspersons living difficult lives, far away from the comfort, the fame and the glory that surrounded them during the pinnacle of their careers.

Let’s train our eyes to the Kenyan football scene and look at the likes of Gor Mahia and Kenya legend Peter Dawo who needed corrective knee surgery in 2017 and put out a public appeal for financial assistance.

There is also the case of former AFC Leopards captain Martin Imbalambala whose playing career came to a halt after a series of health problems culminated in the partial loss of his eyesight.

Their plight, and those of many more who suffer in silence brings the issue of athlete welfare to the fore.

You see, sport is such a fluid environment. One minute you are a star, the next you are struggling to stay relevant for various reasons such as loss of form and passion, illness or injury.

It is important for sportspersons, clubs and federations to cushion themselves at all times by mitigating for the difficult times even as they enjoy the pleasant times.

Never has the need to make athlete welfare a top priority been more urgent than it is now. We are living in a day and age where sport is now an income generating activity, an occupation just like teaching, law or marketing. 

This brings with it the need to ensure that persons in the sporting realm are exposed to, and encouraged to take up services and products such as life skills training, financial literacy and insurance packages to help cushion them against the rough and tumble of life as they go about their business.

Just as proper planning will always prevent poor performance.  

In life after sports, improper planning can cost you a lot of money and time. The end game might come by choice or it might not, but by planning ahead of time, we can be able to avoid a lot of the misfortune and helplessness that has become commonplace in the sports sector.