This archive report was first published on 15 June 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact sportsmen and women worldwide, Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack has shared his personal struggle to make ends meet. In an interview with Nairobi News on June 15, 2020, Polack revealed that he is currently relying on his personal savings to meet his family's needs.
Polack, a 59-year-old British coach, has been saving money since he was 35. He acknowledged that not everyone can adopt the culture of saving money, but urged players to try to save something to keep them going.
“What I’m feeding on and using to meet my family needs is money I started saving when I was at 35. Things are tough and you know we have not been receiving salaries because of lack of sponsorship,” Polack said.
Polack's team, Gor Mahia, is one of the clubs that have been severely affected by the pandemic. The club has not paid its players' salaries for the past five months, forcing chairman Ambrose Rachier to negotiate with landlords to prevent player evictions due to rent arrears.
Polack expressed hope that the situation will improve in the near future and thanked the government for providing support to players during these challenging times.
