Kick-off closer as training resumes
Vague, contradictory regulations leave administrators stupefied
● Professional sports stars hoping to compete and train under level three from tomorrow will have to wait — possibly up to two weeks — before returning to action.
And that’s assuming they’ll be permitted back at all, given one clause in the draft regulations stating “resumption of non-contact sport matches and professional athletes training may not be allowed in areas declared as [a] hot spot by the minister of health”.
All the main metropolitan areas around the country have already been classified as hot spots. “At least our Olympic athletes in Pofadder will be able to start training,” said one cynical sports administrator.
Vague and contradictory
Bosses of several Olympic sports bodies yesterday spoke and agreed the regulations were too vague and in some cases were contradictory, like a clause stating “all sports people ... [testing] negative may not be allowed to train or participate in a match”.
One said they would request a meeting with the sports, arts and culture department this week to get clarification.
A disappointed GolfRSA said in a statement yesterday afternoon it had told the department clearly “that a prerequisite for any professional golf to be practiced or played is for golf facilities to be open to all”.
Meanwhile, Olympic coaches want their athletes back in full training with the Tokyo Games looming in just over 12 months.
“If we can’t be in the water in the next couple of weeks, we’re in trouble,” national swimming head coach Graham Hill warned.
Rowing coach Roger Barrow said the SA squad had been out the boat for two months. “They need to get back onto the water.”
Definition of professional
Confusion about regulations includes the definition of professional; some say it includes pupils with sports scholarships and coaches training children for a living.
The draft legislation refers to “professional non-contact sport events for the purpose of preparation for Olympics, international championships, national qualifying championships, local professional leagues at club, provincial and national level”.
Sport minister Nathi Mthethwa said yesterday professional contact sports would be allowed to resume training.
Regulator Boxing SA will look at submitting a plan to allow gyms to open up.
All sports bodies have 14 days from the regulations being gazetted to submit detailed plans to the ministry of how they will adhere to health standards.
Then support staff and athletes must be tested and quarantined up to 14 days, pending the results, before being allowed back.
“It’s harder than for people going back to work,” said one sports president,
According to the regulations, professional football leagues will not be permitted.
But a PSL executive member said a plan by the joint liaison committee with the SA Football Association (Safa) should be completed soon. Asked if the PSL could complete its season before the July 31 deadline Fifa stipulated for all leagues, he replied: “Yip. If government approve our protocols, which are more stringent than Europe’s.”
Cricket SA’s acting CEO Jacques Faul confirmed cricket was a non-contact sport.
The men’s national team was still planning to travel to the West Indies at the end of July and to host India for a three-match T20 series at the end of August.
“We are planning something, but that’s going to happen in an empty stadium with indications of what is and what isn’t allowed ... We’ll be using the International Cricket Council guidelines from a return-to-play perspective and we feel that’s world best practice. We won’t be forcing players to go back to training or play,” Faul said.
SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux said in a statement they would seek clarity with regards to the return of contact training.
“We submitted a comprehensive, staged return-to-play protocols document to the department five weeks ago and we are ready to begin medical screening of players.”
Stormers coach John Dobson said contact training would resume only once the season was decided. “In preseason you don’t do contact until at least three weeks before you play. That’s to avoid fatigue and injuries.”
Tuks Sport acting director Toby Sutcliffe said they were ready to submit plans to reopen training for various sports including tennis, swimming and athletics, excluding field events.
If we can’t be in the water in a couple of weeks, we’re in trouble Graham Hill
SA national team swimming head coach