© BELGA
“The corona infections in Belgium are among the highest in Europe”. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD) started his press conference with that message on Friday. And so new measures were also announced for the sports world.
Vincent Van Genechten
Indoor sports may continue, albeit without an audience. “During the past few months and the previous waves, we have seen that this is important for our mental well-being,” it sounds. As a result, the first basketball and volleyball competitions, among other things, continue. Although the clubs from the BNXT League recently decided that they will not play until December 15.
The basketball clubs understand the measures that have been taken, but on the other hand regret the fact that a sports match at a professional level is not regarded as an indoor event with a seated audience. The clubs want to give themselves the opportunity to finish the matches with the public in order to limit the financial damage.
© BELGA
“The Flemish Sports Federation, which represents 20,000 sports clubs, is relieved after the decisions of the Consultation Committee not to ban (indoor) sports,” it sounds. “Sport is the cornstarch of society. We are pleased that politicians recognize that sport benefits Belgians’ physical and mental health. By continuing to exercise and taking into account the measures in force, we can come out of this pandemic strong.”
Striking: the sports sector is asking for accelerated vaccinations of young people between 5 and 12 years. “This way they can also exercise more safely, indoors and outdoors. The Flemish Sports Federation also calls on federations and sports clubs to suspend competitions during the extended Christmas holidays. A longer winter break will help reduce the number of infections more quickly. We do recommend that the training sessions take place within your own club, so that everyone in the sport can find an outlet during the dark month of December.”
Consultation with Pro League
There was also relatively good news for outdoor sports, such as football and cyclo-cross. There is no ban on competitions with more than 200 spectators, as is imposed on other events (outside worship services and weddings). Good crowd management is aimed at. Read: wearing mouth masks and showing corona pass.
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The Pro League had therefore asked not to follow the advice of the GEMS. “Attending a football match is done in a safe environment, which is confirmed by scientific studies. We hope that the constructive consultation and confidence of recent months will help keep the stands open.”
In their advice, the experts had argued in favor of banning the public from all sports competitions, including football. No decision was made about this during the Consultation Committee. The politicians consider it advisable to first consult with the Pro League.
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