VENUE
O P E R AT I N G C E N T R E
VOC ENSURING SPECTATOR SAFETY BY LYNDON JULIUS
S
PORT IN SOUTH AFRICA has been
severely impacted by COVID-19 lockdown regulations and restrictions being enforced on sports events. The return of sports matches in the country was accompanied by many changes to what was perceived as the norm, not the least being events held with no spectators allowed inside the stadium or near the sports field. UWC Sport used
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this lockdown period to upgrade the playing surface and transform the VIP/Media section of the UWC Stadium into a world-class facility that will allow us to welcome and host amateur, semi-pro and even professional teams. The playing surface has been upgraded to meet the FIFA standards for professional football matches. Along with these changes, the Venue Operating Centre (VOC), which acts as the control centre for stadium events, was also upgraded. Glen Bentley, UWC Sport
Administration Support Services Manager and manager of the UWC Athletics Club, manages the UWC long-distance and marathon athletes. Bentley knows all too well the key roles played by the VOC and its importance to the athletes, players, coaches, management and even the vaccinated supporters who are now allowed to attend the sporting events. “The VOC is a very important part of every home game and also events that UWC hosts in and around the sports facilities,” Bentley says. “There are so many things that need to be in place and with COVID also thrown into the mix, all possible scenarios must be considered when it comes to safety,” Bentley says.
