CS Amina Excludes Football as Other Sports Resume

Sports CS Amina Mohamed speaking at WTO Headquarters in Geneva Switzerland on July 16, 2020.
Sports CS Amina Mohamed speaking at WTO Headquarters in Geneva Switzerland on July 16, 2020.
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Sports CS Amina Mohamed on Friday, September 18, announced guidelines for the resumption of sports which will see gyms resume operations.

Speaking during the virtual launch of the Resumption to Sports and Recreational Activities guidelines, the CS stated that all outdoor recreational non-contact sporting activities, private fitness clubs, and other sporting clubs would reopen.

Left out in the phased reopening are sports such as football, rugby, swimming, judo, karate, hockey, handball, basketball, volleyball, netball, wrestling, wheelchair basketball, and team-building activities.

File image of Kenyans at the Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani in Nairobi
File image of Kenyan sports fans at the Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani in Nairobi
The Standard

The sporting activities that are expected to reopen are athletics, lawn tennis, bowling, weightlifting, badminton, cricket, cycling, equestrian, horse racing, golf, motorsport, fencing and shooting.

CS Amina noted that national teams from the high risk contact sports would be given special preference under the new guidelines in consultation with respective sports federations.

The Sports CS disclosed that all training grounds and sports facilities should operate in compliance with Covid-19 guidelines from the ministries of sports and health.

“Testing will not be mandatory but where required, the cost shall be met by the federations, sports organisations, participants or event organisers as applicable,” she stated.

Sports activities in the country have remained suspended since March 2020 when the first positive case of Covid-19 was reported in the country.

The sporting world came to a standstill with various major international competitions either put on hold or cancelled altogether as the coronavirus continued to spread.

Three major global sports events that were scheduled to take place in Kenya - the WRC Safari Rally, the World Athletics Under-20 Championships and the Magical Kenya Open Golf Championships were postponed.

On June 30, CS Amina appointed the Resumption of Sports Advisory Committee to draw up protocols for the resumption of sporting activities in Kenya following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Committee drew its membership from the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, the Ministry of Health, sports health practitioners, sports stakeholders and other eminent professionals in the sports industry.

On August 24, the government published proposed guidelines for the resumption of sports.

The ministry however issued a disclaimer that the guidelines were subject to modification depending on the rate of infection and public health policy changes.

Inside the Moi International Sports Center Kasarani
Inside the Moi International Sports Center Kasarani
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