Sports tournaments, competitive matches now allowed in S’wak

KUCHING: Sarawak now allows sports tournaments and competitive matches to be organised, but no spectators are allowed to attend, says state Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

He said this would include th MLeague football matches kicking off this month, where two football teams from Sarawak would be competing in the Premier League.

“Mass activities that involve large participation of people at one time such as fun run, fun ride, marathon and triathlon are still not allowed,” he said during the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) press conference here yesterday.

Abdul Karim said most of the standard operating procedures (SOP) for the sports and recreational sector presented by the federal government would be applicable in Sarawak – with a few exceptions, particularly in terms of the state Youth and Sports Ministry being the referral body for Sarawak.

“Sports and recreational activities are allowed in the state be they individual or team events for training, matches and competitive purposes (indoor ad outdoors), held in compliance with the SOP and without any attendance of spectators.

“Such tournament/competition is subject to approval by Ministry of Youth and Sports Sarawak (MYSS) and must be notified to the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC),” he said, adding that organisers must also seek approval to use public sports facilities.

“The approval to operate and use such facilties is limited to support letter from MYSS or SDMC.”

The SOP posted by Sarawak Public Communications Unit, amongst other things, states that the competing teams and individuals must obtain approval from police if they had to travel inter-district or inter-state.

The SOP also mentions that players, officials and coaches coming from any Movement Control Order (MCO) or Conditional MCO-imposed area must take the RTK-Antigen test three days before joining the match or competition held in Sarawak.

They must be tested negative for Covid-19 before being allowed to participate in the match or competition.

Other directives include the requirement to check in using the MySejahtera app and the scanning of body temperature, provision of hand sanitisers at the venue, sanitisation of venue and banning the use of saunas and jacuzzis.

The local councils are also permitted to conduct checks and issue fines or take action accoding to the relevant laws.

More information on the SOP for the sports and recreation sector in Sarawak could be accessed via MYSS and SDMC websites.