Sports organizations in Guyana have not yet adapted to the new norm and this does not bode well for the future given that, by all means, COVID-19 will be with us for some time.
An example is the ‘Kashif and Shanghai (K&S) Bounceback Classic’, which unfortunately was not staged in either a ‘bubble environment or a biologically safe location’.
Apparently, those pseudo-sophisticated terms have no influence in local sports where safety is only an afterthought following years of cultural contempt for such concerns by organizers and promoters.
In the case of the K&S Classic, players and officials were only tested for the new coronavirus and were then allowed to leave the venue and return to their respective residences after each match.
Although only three games in two days of play, this was a recipe for disaster, and highlights the challenges now facing the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).
It is not unfair to say that if the above approach continues to be applied, it is almost certain to equip the football fraternity as a vector for the spread of the disease once this proposal is put forward on the large scale as expressed by the ambitious GFF almanac of activities.
Public transport, businesses and entertainment venues are undoubtedly among the main culprits for spreading infection.
Unfortunately, unregulated sporting events, such as the recent football tournament in Buxton that did not have the GFF’s approval, will soon extend the list, especially if the GFF’s vision is allowed to come to fruition without applying protocols tested in scientific in common sense. .
If the GFF is committed to restarting football on a national scale, following the publication of its events calendar and the subsequent approval of the National Task Force, then an all-encompassing effort must be made to protect the players and officials, who will be required to labor under the difficult circumstances with no standard reward.
The international standard carrier is currently the English Premier League (EPL), the world’s richest and most populous league, which carries out hundreds of tests on players and officials every week. At the time of writing, over 22 rounds had been played, and it is soon expected that the league will administer tests twice a week, following numerous cases within the players’ ranks.
Although it is necessary to apply perspective to the local scenario, which will not deprive large groups of viewers, the simple fact that the appropriate participants will be allowed to return to their homes and mix in public places, highlights the importance of the a need for strict testing and testing procedures, with the ultimate goal of fostering a safe and healthy work environment.
Will the GFF commit to ensuring that players and officials are tested at least weekly, if given the green light for a restart?
Will the above apply to the appropriate member associations, who will also want to present their football programs?
Who will guarantee the funding for this ambitious endeavor? Will the Ministry of Sport and the National Sports Commission provide any help or support? There are so many questions that must be answered as one begins to consider all of these implications.
Even economic debate in these times of uncertainty is unrealistically justifiable. The importance of football, especially in Europe and South America, cannot be overstated given its financial impact on some countries’ GDP. In the context of Guyana, sport is still more of an amusement rather than a career, and since earnings from football are rather small, players still have to hold down regular jobs. In a country where football is still the land of the disadvantaged, the lack of important security measures will increase the chance of exposing one group that is already considered high risk.
If protection from contracting COVID-19 cannot be guaranteed by the powers in Campbellville Division K corridors, then football should be restarted until a practical structure can be put in place to safely return the discipline. There should be no lighting, cameras, or action, to the detriment of the health of players and officials just to put on a show.