Barbados’ contact sport in peril amid pandemic
Caribbean Life, Nov. 27-Dec. 3, 2020 31
By George Alleyne
A recent Barbados COVID-
19 Monitoring Unit’s intervention
in a football game
halting it midway served as
a reminder to many that in
this pandemic environment
contact sports are not permitted
and there are penalties for
flouting this rule.
The unit sent an immediate
stop order by phone to
Barbados Invitational Masters
Football Classic & Old Boys
League Football Invitational
Tournament just over a week
ago pointing out to organizers
that football is a contact
sport and falls among those
prohibited during the pandemic,
according to a Nation
newspaper report.
These games had been suspended
in March after Barbados
registered its first person
with the virus and the
island went into near total
lockdown.
Authorities began gradually
lifting parts of the lockdown
until reaching an almost full
resumption of social and work
activity in July but persons are
still required to wear masks
especially when indoors with
individuals outside immediate
family members and sport
such as tennis, badminton,
cricket and swimming were
among the few allowed to
resume play because the athletes
can remain apart.
“If you can’t physical distance
and you can’t wear a
mask while conducting the
sporting activity, it is one that
should not be taken at this
time, especially now that we
are coming into the winter
months and we are having
a significant resurgence in
cases,” the newspaper quoted
the Monitoring Unit’s head
Ronald Chapman saying of
outbreaks in the US and
Europe.
“Although we have some
very tight protocols here in
Barbados, we know, and we
have said in the past that
something may slip through.
… all want to ensure that the
last part of the year is good.
We don’t want to have a situation
where we are going on
high alert or lockdown, so we
need to keep it tight during
this period,” he added.
Though Barbados opened
its airport since July the
island’s last registered coronavirus
related death was
in April, taking the total to
seven at which number it
has remained despite some
visitors being diagnosed as
infected and shunted to quarantine.
Barbados Football Association
president (BFA), Randy
Harris, did not criticize the
stoppage of those veteran
games.
Since the ban on contact
sports BFA member clubs
have not been playing any
football.
“It prohibited play has
nothing to do with the BFA.
The policy from the COVID-19
authorities is that no competition
in football is to be held
because they are not satisfied
that it doesn’t serve a risk. We
follow that and that is why
we are not playing competition.
We follow regulations,”
he said.
Barbados Olympic Association
president, Sandra
Osborne, shared sentiments
similar to those of Harris,
pointing out that sport
administrators have a responsibility
to ensure the safety
of athletes, officials and all
spectators in the future.
“The national sports federations
have reached out to the
Monitoring Unit to seek guidance
on how they must proceed.
I think that some of the
decisions will be difficult but
we have to be guided by the
science and expert advice.”
Barbados footballers in pre-COVID-19 action. Photo by George
Alleyne
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