Sporting competitions are on hold or canceled altogether, and the biggest of them all to be affected is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The mega multi-sport event has been postponed until 2021. President of the Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) Romell “Fish” Knowles said they have remained in contact with the athletes.
Knowles said the athletes are holding up well during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic despite not being able to train as usual.
“The athletes are doing as best as they can,” said Knowles. “Now that the Olympic Games has been announced for 2021, a lot of stress has been released, I suppose. I know how frustrated the athletes can get in terms of [not] training like they normally would. All in all, they are holding up. Overall in the country, we are praying that we have no more loss of life and people stay safe.”
The new Tokyo Olympic Games opening date is July 23, 2021. The games will run until August 8, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Other local and international sporting competitions have been postponed or canceled. With social distancing in place globally, Knowles said the athletes have been training online while at their respective homes.
“They are practicing and promoting causes for social distancing. They are promoting hygiene practices announced by the Ministry of Health,” he said. “They have been doing programs and online training. They are coping fairly well given all the uncertainty that exists.”
There is no definite timetable as to when the country will be back to a state of normalcy as the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic. Whenever sports resumes, Knowles said, athletes’ mental condition and physical health will be paramount in terms of them getting back into competition.
“The first thing is to monitor the mental condition and physical health of our athletes. We will not be anxious to force them or speedily get them back to sports until we feel they are physically and mentally able to practice or participate in competition. Their physical and mental well-being is of paramount importance.”
Whenever live sports return, the BOC head said, practice and training facilities, along with other competition venues, must be safe and sterile. Also, the presence of fans at sporting events is something that the BOC will collaborate with government and health officials on, to ensure that the health and safety of athletes, patrons and the fans are not compromised.
Sports is known as a catalyst for bringing nations together, said Knowles. He added that sports will be the perfect avenue for unity whenever a state of normalcy is returned in the country.
“I believe that sports will serve as the inspiration and impetus to getting people back to some degree of normalcy on the other side of this COVID-19 disease,” said Knowles. “Sports is inspiring and it brings a nation together. We are hoping that as soon as possible, when it’s safe, we can unite in safe and healthy sporting venues all across the country to get people not thinking about this virus but getting their lives back to normal.”
Knowles said there is no doubt that Bahamian athletes will bounce back from this lull stronger and better whenever team training and competition resume. However, for now, home workouts, online programs and adhering to health care and government officials will have to be the order of the day.
The post BOC chief says athletes holding up despite lull in activities appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/04/22/boc-chief-says-athletes-holding-up-despite-lull-in-activities/
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