FCT Maintains Covid-19 Protocol As Suspension Lifted on Non-Contact Sports

FCT Maintains Covid-19 Protocol As Suspension Lifted on Non-Contact Sports

By Niyi Busari

After five months, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has lifted suspension on non-contact sports, BSNSports.com.ng can report.

Non-contact sports are sports that can be played without physical contact of the athletes. Some of these sports are; tennis, table tennis, track and field events, gymnastics to mention but few.

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 in March 2020 had announced suspension on all sporting activities following the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic.

The FCT Administration following lifting of suspension on non-contact sports by the PTF, put all needed covid 19 protocols in place to halt the spread of the virus among athletes who resumed training few weeks ago.

When our correspondent visit the Old Parade Ground, Area 10, a big banner was placed at the entrance gate asking athletes and all entrants to use their nose masks when they're not training and also wash their hands and use hand sanitizer. To this end, three big tanks are provided for washing of hands with sanitizer beside it before going into the premises and athletes are also advised to do same after their training.

Following this development, BSN Sports correspondent visited the Director, FCT Sports Department, Mrs Dilichukwu Onyendinma who confirmed the lifting of suspension on all non-contact sports and heaped praises on the minister of FCT, Mallam Muhammed Musa Bello for his determination in making sure that Abuja residents are safe from contracting Coronavirus.

"The rule there is to keep social / physical distancing and that goes with non contact sports, when they said non contact it means everybody can do his/her activities on his or her own, so you don't to go and start touching anybody. That distance must be maintained even if you are doing track and field event, as an athlete your lane is different from other person's lane, just man your lane. These are thong applied to tennis player, golf players.

"But we also emphasis that you must wear your mask, wearing your mask, this things are very important and anytime we are to go unto camp or do any kind of get together then we are to introduce kind of infrared testing, so anybody that comes in must be tested to make sure that we keep to the rules and ensure that we observe the protocol that guide covid 19.

She also spoke on FCT readiness for the resumption of all sporting activities.

"FCT is always ready for the resumption of everything, we are always 2 or 3 steps ahead of the associations, we know that soon everything will resume so we are prepared. We are always in touch with our athletes any where they are, we also have coaches that associates with every sports, so it's easy for us to reach out to them .

She reiterated the nations capital determination to perform better than their outing in the Sports Festival adding that the Covid 19 may be a blessing in disguise.

"I know that whenever they resume this festival will come because we are on the verge of leaving for festival before the lockdown, so as soon as this lockdown is completely lifted i know that the festival will take and we don't want to lose form before going for it.

"Next now is preparations for camp we have to do our fumigation and separations of sleeping places, is not going to be many people in a room , it may be 2 or 3 people in room and we have to now do extra job to them away from each other and washing of hand and wear of mask we always be put in place except when they are training.

"We've really prepared to surpass the 7th positions of 2018 to at least tell everybody that it was not because we hosted but it's because we work hard but this covid 19, lockdown i know is going to affect the form of athletes .

"We are in camp for more than 2 weeks, we have done everything to ensured that all our athletes are in form even some of them that are coming in from abroad are already on their way in before the lockdown." She concluded.