National athletes are ‘frontliners’ as well
Amidst the current coronavirus pandemic when most countries are on different levels of lockdown and quarantine controls, we must not forget that national athletes have more to lose while in hibernation.
It is best to remember that athletes need to be in their peak when in competition and preparing for this requires uninterrupted training, both physical and mental.
It is no surprise that in other countries, elite athletes are given special arrangements to continue training in their respective sports. And proof of this are Olympic Qualifiers Ernest Obiena and Carlos Yulo who are now in deep training while in hard-hit COVID-19 countries of Italy and Japan, respectively.
These athletes who do battle for the country during international competitions after all, are our sports “heroes” and ‘frontliners’ in the battlefront. The Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission, in consultation with the concerned National Sports Associations, must therefore plot out plans for the approval of the InterAgency Task Force (IATF) which is in charged of coordinating our response to the pandemic.
Among the steps to be taken are the following:
Identify and select sports whose athletes could train individually observing all required protocols of proper hygiene, no body contact (physical distancing), and daily temperature screening.
Identify and select the deserving national athletes and coaches who will be allowed to undergo special training and physical conditioning on specific days, alternatively with other athletes to minimize crowding in the venues. They should be given special ‘IATF’ passes to commute to their training venues which are secured, regularly sanitized, and exclusively for their use.
Guidelines must be formulated and approved to ensure safety while conversing during instructions/briefing, eating, and use of comfort and dressing rooms. Use of personal sports equipment and uniforms must be encouraged, and not shared with others.
Indeed national athletes are also our sports “Frontliners” who serve our country in their own battleground.