Covid19 means no non-contact sports for schools

The Ministry of Education began its phased, virtual reopening of schools on Tuesday, but even non-contact sports for students will not resume.
Team sports remain prohibited owing to an upsurge in locally transmitted covid19 cases, but non-contact sports such as tennis and table tennis are still permitted, once all government-implemented safety protocols are fully enforced.

But with sporting venues unavailable and gatherings restricted to no more than five people, some non-contact sports are unable to resume at all.
Students who want to take part even in non-contacts sports in after-school programmes will be unable to do so.

President of the TT Table Tennis Association David Joseph believes that although table tennis is a non-contact sport, domestic clubs and schools have no intention of resuming student classes, as a precautionary measure.
“Clubs have stopped the training even though it’s a non-contact sport: they’re limited to five persons, so that’s a bit tough. People have been doing their personal training and playing at home or by a partner who has a table.”

But, he said, “Training has been completely stopped officially. Most of these clubs use facilities that do not belong to them, and these facilities have been closed off from sporting activity.
“There are few clubs who have their private spaces and even those have also shut down.”
The National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua serves as the headquarters for both sports, but has been unavailable since the Government converted it into to a step-down facility for recovering covid19 patients in April.

Additionally, the new law making it mandatory to wear masks in public spaces also poses a challenge to sportsmen and women.
Joseph pointed out, “If a player has to play wearing a mask on, it would be very uncomfortable. Table tennis is a very physical sport and wearing a mask would affect the athlete’s play.
“We’re trying to make sure we stick to the guidelines laid down by the Government.
“But I don’t see the resumption of any sport until 2021.”

President of the Tennis Association Hayden Mitchell said tennis continues, but remains limited to private courts only and of course with adherence to all safety guidelines.
While the Eddie Taylor Public Courts in St Clair remain open, Mitchell said there had been several miscommunications with the Port of Spain City Corporation over their availability.
“Players are using private courts,” he said, “but must follow the established protocols.”

Tennis has an advantage in that unlike table tennis, it’s an outdoor sport
“We were one of the first sporting organisations to put out our covid19 guidelines, and I’ve been in contact with a lot of the clubs already. Once they follow the government’s requirements, they’re good to go,” said Mitchell.

He said the coronavirus pandemic has actually enhanced interest in the sport locally.
Mitchell was pleased with the fresh influx of young enthusiasts, and stressed the importance of encouraging children to exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle while “attending” school within the confines of their homes.

“A lot of parents have reached out to us to find out about tennis. It’s good for us because parents are seeing it as a sport that they can play safely. It’s crucial to keep kids active, especially if they’re allowed a lot of screen-time at home.”