Tuesday turned out to be a good day for the sports lovers. International badminton action restarted after the All England Championship in March with the Denmark Open and later in the evening there was another good news in store when Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) allowed indoor and outdoor sports activities.
These two positive news will certainly cheer up the mood of the sports fraternity of the region as they are eagerly awaiting the nod from the government authorities.
With Pune Municipal Corporation sending the official circular that all the indoor and outdoor sports activities can be resumed from Wednesday, October 14, 2020 following the strict guidelines of Covid-19 protocols, there is a ray of hope for the other districts of Maharashtra too.
The coaches and officials of Nagpur have welcomed the PMC development and are optimistic about the resumption of sports activities in the Nagpur district sooner than later.
“It is certainly refreshing news for all of us. We are desperately waiting for the government orders for the resumption of sports in the city. After the PMC has given permission, the other municipal corporations of the State should also allow the sports in their respective districts. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) should follow the examples set by PMC,” said a senior badminton coach of the city, Kiran Makode.
His views were echoed by several other badminton coaches and players across all age groups.
“I think it is high time now. We must be allowed to restart our sports activities soon. We will follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and take all safety precautions. Players are desperate to get back to the field now. When PMC has allowed why not NMC,” asked Shashikant Chande, a senior swimming coach and sports teacher of Somalwar Nikalas School.
Even some of the cricket coaches and players want practice to resume as it is a non-contact sport.
“Outdoor and indoor sports are now permitted outside containment zones by the PMC as per the new order issued on Tuesday. Permission is being granted to practice cricket, badminton, athletics, kho-kho, tennis, football and other games. The same order should also be applied to Nagpur,” said one of the senior cricket coaches of the city.
While issuing orders, the PMC has given certain guidelines which say the establishments should admit a limited number of players as required to avoid crowds in compliance with social distancing rules.
Children below ten years of age and persons above 65 years will not enter into the sports complexes. Athletes and staff should be examined by thermal screening near the entrance.
Doors and windows should be kept open while practicing in indoor halls. Indoor halls should be disinfected frequently.
Sports equipment used for sports should be disinfected before and after use at the ground entrance and on the floor. Hand sanitizers are mandatory in indoor halls.
Establishments should conduct the Covid-19 test of their employees. Employees should also wear safety equipment such as masks, gloves and face shields.
Admission should not be given to players showing any symptoms like fever, chills, cough. The contact information of every player should be asked for tracing, said the circular.
Courtesy: orangecitysports.com
