Heroic actions by sports personalities, clubs and associations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the philanthropic, educational and socially responsible responses to the COVID-19 pandemic by sports personalities and sporting bodies in the African context. The chapter contributes to knowledge by showing that sports personalities and sporting bodies have an obligation to help communities in times of pandemics such as COVID-19 and other forms of disasters. It is from these communities that fans and spectators come. These fans and spectators have legitimate expectations on their favourite players and athletes, their teams or clubs and the associations to which these teams and clubs affiliate to do heroic actions in times of need. These heroic actions can take the form of messages of encouragement, material donations from personal resources, fundraising, the mobilisation of other resources and behaveing in a socially responsible way so as to model expected behaviour such as hand washing, physical distancing and respecting lockdown rules. Fans and spectators see sports personalities as celebrities and role models. This places an obligation on celebrities to return the favour. Some fans support their favourite sports personalities and their clubs even when they experience poor performance as it happens even to the best sports teams or clubs. Through narrative review of both news media and scholarly literature, the chapter identifies and describes philanthropic, educational and responsible behaviours by sports personalities, sport clubs and sport associations in the African context. Scholarly literature suggests reasons for heroic actions during disasters, while news media demonstrate the types of these heroic actions. Celebrities use news media to show fans their heroic actions, and sports journalists are willing to report these heroic actions as there are no live sports to report.