[ad_1]
Sports Minister Amanda Lind and Interior Minister Mikael Damberg announced at a press conference on Tuesday that athletes can compete in Sweden, despite the entry ban.
– We will mean that elite athletes are excluded from the entry association, said Mikael Damberg.
Sports Minister Amanda Lind:
– All elite international competitions can be held. Sweden is a country that is recognized as good at organizing competitions, we will also be good during the pandemic, said Amanda Lind during the press conference.
– With this message, Sweden can welcome biathletes to World Cup competitions and soccer players to international matches even with current entry restrictions.
“Sweden has moved on”
The government announces that there are several exceptions to the entry ban and in many other cases it is clear how they will be applied. But there are still no guidelines on how the exceptions should be interpreted when it comes to elite athletes.
– We have had a situation where EU Member States have done it in slightly different ways when it comes to elite athletes. Then Sweden pushed for a common interpretation, but it took a while and then we exploded this problem, says Mikael Damberg to SVT Sport.
– We see that some member countries make interpretations that elite athletes can come to each country and we want them to do the same with Sweden as well.
“Good opportunities for Östersund”
Three weeks ago The news came that there will be no world biathlon competition in Östersund in December. The reason was that Sweden has not been able to deliver a plan on how all skiers will be able to travel in and out of the country.
– They probably feel a certain confidence also because now there is planning for the rest of the competitions of the season and I know they would like to stay and get a competition for Sweden and I think there are good possibilities with this message, says Damberg. .
Ban since March
Since March 19, Sweden has an entry association for unnecessary travel from non-EU countries, the UK, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Furthermore, on the recommendation of the European Council and the Commission, the ban has been extended on several occasions.
