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Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter
YOUTH, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister, Kirsty Coventry, says she feels the pain being felt by the football family, after the Chibuku Super Cup, was halted once again.
However, she believes the move that was taken was in the best interest of not only the players, and officials, but the country, as a whole.
Once the situation, related to the third wave of the Covid-19 outbreak, improves, Coventry said, a review will be made and, the country’s flagship knockout football tournament, could return.
The tournament had appeared to sail smoothly, after only four cases were recorded, in the first round.
The Sports Commission, however, released some grim figures this week.
They showed there was a staggering 600 percent increase, in the number of positive Covid-19 cases, when the tournament resumed last month.
“I have seen and read the sadness that has been felt, especially in soccer,” said Coventry.
“I know that the Chibuku Super Cup had just restarted but, within the first week of the tournament, we had 24 players test positive for Covid-19, whereas a few months ago the number was very small.
“So, with the rate at which the protocols were just not able to keep our players safe, it was the right decision looking at where we are as a country right now.
“But, I can guarantee you that daily, the Ministry of Sport, the Sports Commission, the Ministry of Health, and the leadership in Government, are working tirelessly with doctors.
“We are also monitoring outside, globally, the trends that are happening and how to be able to effectively bring back sport, and keeping everybody safe.
“Obviously, right now, we are in a national lockdown but, as soon as we start pulling through, and knocking out Covid-19 in the next few weeks, we will be ready and prepared to bring sport back, slowly and safely.”
This week, the SRC said, under the current circumstances, it was impossible, for football to be played, without first setting up a bio-secure bubble environment.
The authorities also encouraged athletes and other stakeholders to take up vaccination.
Coventry said the decision to suspend domestic sporting activities was in line with the Government’s policy, which put the health and safety of the population, first.
Government demonstrated commitment to have sport return, earlier this year, under strict Covid-19 protocols.
However, the recent surge in Covid-19 cases, which have also spread to the sports arena, has put paid to the efforts.
Coventry said the recent decision was taken in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and health experts.
“We have been working hand in hand with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, along with the Sports Commission, to come up with very strict protocols but protocols that are necessary in order to keep everybody safe,” she said.
“We saw the opening up of all sports, even the sports that were classified medium and high risk.
“Unfortunately, two weeks ago, when we hit the third wave, and under His Excellency’s guide of protecting our people first, we had to then close sport down.”
Scheduled international events were given the green light under strict health conditions.
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