The Sports Ministry has given the green light to all sports bodies to conduct national pool training from June 1 and it is mandatory that all training and practice schedules be submitted to the director general of sports Amal Edirisuriya before May 20.
“We have informed all sports bodies to conduct their pool training from the date we have set,” said KDS Ruwanchandra the secretary to the Sports Ministry.
He said the Ministry’s Sports Medical Institute will issue the guidelines for all sports associations to recommence national training.
Ever since the England cricket team pulled out from their tour of Sri Lanka in early March and the high profile schools rugby League was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, all sporting activities in Sri Lanka came to a standstill.
But with the easing of lockdown measures and the government keen on relaunching the economy and opening up day-to-day activities in the country, sport is beginning to get off the ground.
Overseas the major Premier League football tournament in England, where the coronavirus was at its worst, is scheduled to restart in June. Edirisuriya has already sent out letters to sports controlling bodies detailing how they should restart their training schedules.
Some of the regulations that will have to be followed specify that all national pool players will have to reside in their training centres or hostels.
Players will be permitted to leave their training centres or hostels by seeking the approval of medical officials. Training schedules will not be open to parents, spouses, relations or friends of players during the training period according to the Ministry.
Food, lodging and medical facilities will -have to be provided by the respective sports bodies. -Coaches and support staff of teams and sports associations will also have to follow the same procedure.
Meanwhile the election of officials to sports bodies that was scheduled for May 31 has been postponed for August according to Ruwanchanda.
He said that one of the national events that will have to recommence will be the 46th National Sports Festival with the finals of the track and field meets scheduled for September at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo.