The Sunday Mail
Deputy Sports Editor
FOOTBALL is no closer to a return than it was a month or two ago, as the Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) is still holding consultations.
Speaking at the sidelines of the Zimbabwe Sports Council Press conference Thursday, acting director-general Sebastian Garikai said the commission is about a week or so away from coming with a position.
“We have received their (Zifa) application, and it is going through the processes,” said Garikai.
“It is a thorough process, and there are three different stages that each application goes through. Maybe in about a week or so, we will be in a better position to provide feedback from that particular application.
“We also have to put into consideration that the dates they (Zifa) put for a proposed return to training fall within a time we are still under the current Level 4 lockdown. That is one of the issues under consideration,” he said.
His comments were further collaborated by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Recreation Kirsty Coventry, who not only gave an update on football’s return, but went on to explain the processes each sport application must go through.
“I was an athlete, and my heart bleeds for all of our national teams and athletes. I want to see sport resume as quickly as it can, but solely that depends on the fact that we will be able to ensure their (athletes) health and safety. That is my top priority,” said Coventry.
She said that her ministry will continue to assess the situation, revealing that she was happy with the national associations putting in place measures to protect athletes from the pandemic.
“Right now, as a nation, we are still in a Level 4 lockdown, and we have got that for another two weeks.
“During these two weeks, we will be able to assess where we are and where we may be going.
“We have, even during this lockdown, been given permission for some athletes to train or continue to train, and that is because we have had very good work coming from the national associations who have gone out of their way to protect their athletes.
“They have put in place bubbles, ensured testing and they have ensured that all required protocols will not only be put in place but followed.
“If a national association can provide all those protocols to us, and ensure that they will be followed, then as the situation improves we will be able to work with them,” she said.
On the processes that go into the application, the Minister said: “There is a medical commission, under the SRC, and they are the ones that go through all the recommendations that come from national associations.
“When a national association brings its request or application, it goes to the medical commission, who then write up their recommendations and present it to the board (SRC).
“The board then looks at the document, which they then present to me. Once satisfied, I then have to consult with the Ministry of Health.
“In cases of teams that might want to travel out of the country, I also have to go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so that both ministries are well aware of where our athletes are in case we suddenly have to bring them back home.
“When a team requires to travel, we require all of the documentation from whichever country they will be going, and the protocols that they require. If they are weaker than ours, there is a high possibility of us not agreeing,” she said.
