IMMEDIATE SHUTDOWN

MBABANE – All sports that will break the COVID-19 rules and regulations will be suspended with immediate effect.

The Eswatini Sports and Recreation Council (ESRC) has made it crystal clear that there will be no leniency towards sports that will fail to comply with the health and safety regulations guiding training and competitions amid the COVID-19 era. This is according to ESRC Media Communications Officer Dumsani Ntiwane. He made this address to the different sports that have been given the green light by government to resume activities and he sternly warned them to be cautious in terms of ensuring safety for all athletes and officials by abiding by the rules that were put in place by government.

Break

The sports that were allowed to resume following a four-month break due to the COVID-19 outbreak include athletics, golf, cue-sport (pool), shooting, cricket, tennis, cycling, angling (fishing) and darts. Ntiwane stated that these sports were categorised as low risk non-contact sports but this did not imply that people should ignore the risk of the virus. He said that ESRC would be vigilant and uncompromising in ensuring that people’s lives and health remained a priority. “The truth of the matter is that we as Sports Council have the obligation of ensuring that these sports observe all the laid down protocols for them to enjoy their sports safely. We will not be lenient but immediately suspend all those found to be compromising the health of athletes and officials,” said Ntiwane.

He further explained that the association would be held responsible for the offenses of their members. He therefore urged the head of sports associations to enforce these rules to their members to avoid falling on the wrong side of the law.

Injury

“An injury to one is an injury to all, so if one club breaches the rules, the entire sport will be suspended, not just that particular club. The sports leaders should be at the top of the situation because we are not in the clear yet, so we need to practice caution at all times,” said Ntiwane. For health and safety of sports participants, compulsory temperature screening is an obligation during training and competitions. The associations are also expected to keep a track record of the tests, including people’s contacts for easy tracking in case of an emergence of new cases. The rules also state that sanitisation should be observed through the use of hand sanitisers and face masks at all times. Ntiwane further said ESRC would keep the nation updated with regard to other sports, pending a directive from government.

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