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DISTRIBUTED BY veritas E-mail: veritas@mango.zw Website: makes every effort to ensure the provision of reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied. In the National AssemblyWednesday 21st October 2020.MINISTERIAL STATEMENTRESUMPTION OF SPORTING ACTIVITIESTHE MINISTER OF YOUTH, SPORT, ARTS AND RECREATION (HON. COVENTRY): Thank you Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation is indeed pleased to learn of the anxiety and apprehension that has gripped the nation over the continued sabbatical of some of the sporting disciplines as related by Hon. T. Biti. This shows that appetite and the deprivation by the Hon. Member of Parliament that underline the length and breadth of the role of sport in our life as Zimbabweans, particularly in these periods of distress, somberness, isolation sponsored by the corona virus. It is also a depiction of this House’s consciousness on the role of sport in generating national feeling as well as upscaling the happiness index amongst our own citizens. It is to that end the Ministry would like to submit its appreciation of this enquiry by the Hon. Member of Parliament.On the resumption of activities, Madam Speaker, on 14th April, 2020 the WHO developed an interim guidance paper for sports federations, sport event organisers to consider when planning match sports and recreation gatherings in the context of COVID-19. In view of this development by WHO the Ministry and its arms, the Sport and Recreation Commission [SRC] and the Zimbabwe Boxing and Wrestling Control Board developed a schedule classifying sporting disciplines according to risks as related by WHO in the interim guideline.The Ministry and its arms made consultations with the National Sports Association and the following categories were developed:Low risk sport with physical distancing is possible, for example archery, shooting and some athletics events. These will be less of a risk if physical distancing advice for athletes, coaches and spectators is followed. Medium risk sport which was classified as sporting disciplines where contact is possible but can be managed and distancing maintained. In such activities participants though vulnerable can devise mechanisms to abstain from contact vulnerability to risk.High risk sport was categorized as physical and close contact among players which could increase the transmission of COVID-19.Following the consultations sporting disciplines were classified as outlined in the table below:-LOW RISKMEDIUM RISKHIGH RISKArcheryBadmintonSoccerPoolBaseballWrestlingSwimmingLawn BowlsBoxingAthleticsSoft ballBasketballRowingTriathlonWater Polo CyclingWeightliftingVolleyballEquestrian?TaekwondoFencing?RugbyGolf?NetballGymnastics?Judo Motor Sport/BMX?HandballShooting?Field HockeyTennis??Chess?? Darts?? Draughts??Goal Ball (Visual Impaired)?? Criteria of ResumptionMadam Speaker, after following the recommendations by WHO in consultations with National Sports Associations, the Ministry of Youth. Sport, Arts and Recreation advised low risk sports to apply for resumption and share their covid-19 precautionary measures for consideration. Each and every National Association was tasked to develop its precautionary measures suitable for the sporting discipline. Seventeen National Sports Associations applied, and as you may recall Madam Speaker, during one of the post Cabinet briefings on Tuesday, 19th May, 17 sporting disciplines were allowed to resume activities with the only restriction being crowd presence. They were archery, swimming, athletics, rowing, cycling, equestrian events, fencing, golf, gymnastics, motor sports and BMX, shooting, tennis, chess, darts, draughts and pool.Given that and for the record, allow me to reiterate that sport in Zimbabwe resumed on 19th May, 2020 starting with low risk sport as guided by the World Health Organisation in a communication which has also caught the attention of the Hon. Member of Parliament. Madam Speaker Ma’am, the absence of our favourite sporting disciplines in the initial phase of resumption should therefore not mean failure by the Ministry to put mechanisms for the recommencement of sport in the country.Hon. Speaker Ma’am, as the Ministry trudges ahead with the staggered resumption of sport guided by the set criteria, high risk sporting disciplines have begun to apply for the resumption of activities. In their application, they have also been requested to put the measures that they are putting in place to mitigate contraction and spread of Covid-19 as guided by their international federations. Zimbabwe cricket has successfully re-applied following its undertaking to follow Covid-19 procedures as well as guidelines by the International Cricket Council. Zimbabwe will tour Pakistan at the end of the month of October, 2020 and the domestic cricket league as well as club cricket is also set to resume.Football has also applied for the resumption of the domestic league and their application with the recommendation of the Sports and Recreation Commission has been approved. The domestic league will resume in a staggered way starting with the PSL and Women’s League as well as international matches which will resume with the use of bio-secure bubbles.You may also be aware Madam Speaker Ma’am, that Government gave a reprieve for the Zimbabwe National Football team to play Malawi in an international friendly where warriors drew one all with The Flames of Malawi.Madam Speaker Ma’am, as a Ministry and Government, we have noted the commencement of activity in other countries but the solutions to the containment of COVID-19 do not require a copy and paste attitude but systematic approaches in the interest of our athletes and athlete support personnel. You may want to know that in the run-up to the international friendly with Malawi, Kudakwashe Mahachi, one of our top players who plies his trade in South Africa tested positive as he was preparing to travel to Zimbabwe and join camp. He became the first Zimbabwean player to test positive of COVID-19. The detection was as a result of the conditions of travel and had the player not intended to travel, it could have risked colleagues at his base in South Africa.Madam Speaker Ma’am, as a Ministry, we understand the anxiety for sport particularly football but for the love of our athletes and support personnel, let us be patient as the best environment is being created for the resumption of the ‘world’s most beautiful game’.Above and beyond mainstream sporting disciplines, the Ministry has also been monitoring activities around gyms, fitness and wellness facilities. As of 1st July, 2020, the following fitness and wellness facilities were reviewed on a case-by-case basis after their applications were given the green-light to resume operations:-??????? Gyms and recreational facilities.??????? Pro Fitness.??????? Sweatnation Fitness.??????? Body Active.??????? Triton360.??????? Total Fitness (Longchen).??????? Total Fitness (Borrowdale).??????? Innovate Sport & Health.??????? Curves Gym.??????? Olympus Health and Fitness.The resumption was sponsored by the need to foster active life styles amongst Zimbabweans and every citizen keen on participating on physical activity has the liberty to do so with these accredited facilities.Madam Speaker Ma’am, it would be amiss if I do not share with you the evolution in cost centres that have been caused by the emergence of COVID-19. For every National Sport Association to resume activity, there should be adequate presence of personal protective equipment (PPEs), testing funds and even more the use of bio-secure bubbles. This equipment that is for the safety of athletes and athlete support personnel do not come cheap and require the net capacitation of our National Sport Associations as well as clubs. The Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, through Treasury has been able to share funding with National Sport Associations through the Athletes Relief Fund but is not enough for these requirements. The onus is on this House Madam Speaker Ma’am, to determine if more funding can be channeled to sport for such purposes.Madam Speaker Ma’am, I would like to once again take this opportunity to appreciate the hunger for sport as contained in the inquiry and would be glad if the same can be invested in the support, maintenance and sustenance of the sport in our various constituencies for an active Zimbabwe. More- so, I would want this House to note that investment required to deliver sport is now different as the uses of bubbles and testing has severely transformed the cost centres of sport. It is therefore my plea through you Madam Speaker Ma’am, that as we prepare the budgets for sport, let this new development be considered. I thank you.[After several MPs requested clarification of certain points, the Minister responded as follows.]HON. COVENTRY: Thank you Madam Speaker. I will just respond in order of the questions. First on the question of rural soccer and the social leagues, as we have seen and mentioned and allow me to give some background; what we did with the Ministry and SRC is to put together a taskforce made up of medical doctors that will allow us to help assess which sports should start in terms of the capabilities in upholding the guidelines of the WHO as well as the Government guidelines to COVID-19. Let me proceed to say that our first priority is the safety of our people and secondly, is the resumption of sport.With that being said in terms of soccer directly, we will start with the PSL and the Women’s League. Once that bubble concept is done in the form of a mini-league, we will be able to see the capacity and the capability of the other divisions and leagues that fall below them and ZIFA will be reporting to the Ministry and to SRC in terms of the capacities that the other divisions have. As Hon. Members have mentioned, some of the social leagues have continued and I would hope that the social leagues have, above all put the safety of their players and themselves first in terms of at least adhering to the national law of social distancing, sanitising and wearing face masks. Allow me to address the question on distribution of equipment. I will have to come back to this Hon. House because I would be very interested to see in terms of the distribution whether they have been made. As far as my offices are aware, that distribution is supposed to be done nationally and be given no importance to urban over rural. In terms of what would happen with the vacant stadiums, the Hon. Member brings a good point that a lot of teams may not have other income sources but in terms of the PSL and the Women’s League and mini-tournament, we would want to be focusing on broadcasting the games which will allow the teams to potentially gain some sponsors.In terms of the other divisions again, unfortunately this is the pandemic that we find ourselves in and it is faced by all countries across the world. In terms of the last question, the International Olympic Committee as Hon. Members are aware Madam Speaker, represents all sports not just one in particular and so, as that pertains the question in terms of what word the country would be acquiring specifically to swimming, does not really pertain to the position that I felt as the IOC and the International Olympic Committee represents over 55 different sports and not one in particular. Thank you.___________________ ................
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