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© Sportreport
On Friday, representatives of sports organizations and representatives of the federal government met for a “sports summit.”
Sports Minister Kogler and Health Minister Anschober promised the decision to relax next Monday. Governors and experts meet at the main government summit.
The expectations are high. For this reason, Sport Austria and Sportunion published official press releases (attached) today.
Niessl, President of Sport Austria: “Wait for the government to announce the end of the sports lockdown on Monday!”
At the sports summit with Vice Chancellor and Sports Minister Werner Kogler and Health Minister Rudolf Anschober on Friday at the Sports Ministry, Sport Austria presented a step-by-step plan to restart organized sport. Both ministers welcomed this step-by-step plan. The final reopening of the sport will now be decided at the main government summit on Monday together with state governors and experts. Sport should be prioritized.
The Ministry of Health will have from Sunday a study that will analyze the current situation of the infection and clarify the questions “How many new infections are due to the high number of tests and how many are due to virus mutations.” For Sport Austria President Hans Niessl, it is certain that the sport must rapidly intensify: “After today’s sports summit, I hope the government announces the gradual end of the sports lockdown on Monday!”
Niessl: “It was a detailed discussion in which the representatives of the general and professional associations also contributed very well. In children and adolescents there are more and more problems in the psychological and physical field. This is exactly where Sport Austria comes into play. We need to end the lockdown, we want to restart the sport and do our part to keep collateral damage within limits or repair as soon as possible. First of all, something has to be done quickly, especially with outdoor sports: now group training in clubs should be allowed again!
Sport is a partner of the healthcare system and does a lot for the health of people in Austria. But it can do more. However, this can only be achieved through proper cooperation. We have presented a concept to open the sport (appendix, note). Basically, it states that all sports activities can be resumed in one month. From the beginning of March, outdoor sports should also be possible in group trainings, especially for children and teenagers, from mid-March it will also be possible to practice indoor sports again with the appropriate tests. By the end of next month, the entire sports business should be up and running again.
It is critical to say that testing is a prerequisite. The more you try, the more it should be possible. If, for example, the tests are carried out at school, the negative test should also allow sports in the club in the afternoon. We have 571,000 children and youth in 15,000 sports clubs, so you can imagine the potential for health here. I am not in favor of saying ‘open everything, it will not be a problem’, that would be a cover-up. But there are concepts for the openness of sport and action recommendations for a safe club sport that have been developed together with MedUni Vienna. Sport is not the problem, it can be part of the solution, in the health area to strengthen the immune system and, of course, also in the social area. Contacts are extremely important, especially for young people.
In Viennese parks, when the weather is good, you can already see many children with their parents, and football is played in the cages and on the meadows. Organized sport can work much better because its qualified coaches and Corona officials act responsibly. Hence my call on politicians to begin phasing out the blockade from March 1 and restarting the sport over the course of the next month. If the number of patients in hospitals and intensive care units is decreasing, you can also play sports! “
The organized sports delegation consisted of Sport Austria President Hans Niessl, ASKÖ President Hermann Krist, ASVÖ President Christian Purrer, SPORTUNION President Peter McDonald, ÖGV General Secretary Robert Fiegl, ÖFB President Leo Windtner, ÖTV President Magnus Brunner and Sport Austria Vice President and AFBÖ President Michael Eschlböck.
SPORTUNION after sport summit: young talents could be possible again from March
McDonald: “Austria’s club sport will finally see a comeback after a long hibernation.”
Today’s sports summit between the federal government and organized sports creates the first important prospects for the 15,000 or so sports clubs in Austria. At the very least, youth sport should soon be possible again in a safe framework. The exact details will be decided in a blanket package on Monday after discussions with experts, state governors and the opposition. “Our pressure to allow responsible openings has had an impact. Finally, outdoor training should be allowed to take place in a safe and orderly environment at the club. This would be an innovative first step in the right direction. After a long hibernation, Austria’s club sport will finally see a comeback, “said SPORTUNION President Peter McDonald, who thanked Vice Chancellor and Sports Minister Kogler as well as Health Minister Anschober for the conversation on confidence and hope that the next steps will follow soon.
More recently, a broad alliance has called for exceptions, especially for the younger generation. Today the federal government announced that there could be the first openings for children’s and youth sports starting in March. “In particular, allowing young people to participate in sport will be a liberating measure for all children and young people. There are positive signs at least for outdoor sports. However, it would be a shame if all the doors for indoor sports remained closed for people who tested negative, which would also be possible thanks to the corona prevention concepts. Our sports clubs already demonstrated this summer that they, as responsible crisis managers, can cope with the vacancies they are considering, ”concluded McDonald.
Editorial team for press information / Sport Austria / Sportunion
02.27.2021
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