It’s now over two months since the first measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus were introduced in Malta and we can safely and proudly say that the results have been excellent.
Very few countries have been able to keep the situation under control as Malta has done so far and it is certainly thanks to the expertise and incredible work of the authorities involved, mainly the health department that we’re now in the phase of containment and gradually easing measures.
Since the beginning of this surreal period, all sports events, from solo activities to team sports, have come to a halt. During this period, all sports facilities, including gyms, have been closed and the only way that one can practise his or her sports is solely through personal initiative while respecting social distancing.
We now know that COVID-19 is especially dangerous in the vulnerable section of our population and, therefore, the vast majority of those practising sports are the least susceptible to the morbidity and, God forbid, mortality from this infection.
In Malta, we have thousands practising various sports. They are all eagerly awaiting the green light to restart their activity. The least we can do for them is to provide them with a resumption plan.
As sports officials, we, together with the health authorities, are very willing to help in the preparation of a cautious and gradual process while ensuring the safety of athletes, personnel and the rest of the community.
In general, we know that both outdoor and solo sports activities are at a lower risk than indoor or team sport activities due to a lower risk of transmission.
The safety directives to resume a sports activity must not only focus on the activity itself but also be directed at the use of exercise equipment and changing/toilet facilities.
The activity must be based on the principle of ‘get in, train, get out’ basis in order to minimise unnecessary contact in communal areas- Paul Sultana
The directives will initially be aimed at allowing the athletes to resume training also in view of competitive sports in the future. Therefore, training has to be graded in order to avoid unnecessary injuries.
A comprehensive plan must include all individuals who participate and contribute to sports and recreational activities, be it professionals or amateurs, contact or non-contact activity, individual or team sports.
It needs to be staged according to the type of activity and associated hygiene measures.
It needs to be a step-by-step approach according to the number of participants that have to interact together in a particular sports activity and the level of contact that is needed to perform the activity.
Any sports organisation that will want to reopen to its athletes will have to abide by strict minimum baseline standard requirements apart from protocols for management of COVID-19 positivity in athletes and/or other personnel.
The directives will have to be flexible, dependent on the possibility of localised outbreaks in the sporting cohort or community that may lead to the reintroduction of restrictions on such activities.
Therefore, the organisation must be ready to respond accordingly. Adhering to the regulations is a win-win scenario. If there is a COVID-19 positive case among the athletes in a particular team/club, it may lead to all being put in quarantine. Obviously, regular testing must be part of the basic requirements.
In general, the activity must be based on the principle of ‘get in, train, get out’ basis in order to minimise unnecessary contact in communal areas.
A more cautious approach and restrictive measures have to be applied for para-athletes and officials who can be more vulnerable to infection.
The current public health measures and instructions must also apply to all the athletes.
So any symptomatic athlete needs to self-isolate, get tested and only resume sporting activity when given the green light by the medical doctor. This applies to athletes who come in contact with an infected person.
On the other hand, athletes who had contracted the COVID-19 infection and wish to return to the sporting activities need to be extra cautious as, up to now, we do not have data on the medium- to long-term effects of the infection. In theory, these individuals may have non-optimal exercise capacity and, therefore, a more gradual resumption of high-intensity physical activity is advisable.
We understand that the health authorities carry the burden of difficult and responsible decisions on various aspects of our way of life, but we as sports officials are here to offer our experience in the sector to draw up a comprehensive rebooting plan albeit knowing that it is a complex exercise that must allow for a high degree of flexibility.
The resumption of sports and recreational activities, directly and indirectly, has many health, economic, social and cultural benefits for the Maltese society.
The safety and well-being of the Maltese society must remain the top priority in any plan to reboot our sports activities.
Paul Sultana is president of the Malta Basketball Association and executive director of the Maltese Olympic Committee.