Stadiums, sports complexes allowed to open, spectators barred
May 18, 2020
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday issued a new set of guidelines to be followed during the fourth stage of the nationwide lockdown, one of which was that sports stadiums and sports complexes will be allowed to open but spectators will be barred.
“Sports complexes and stadia will be permitted to open, however, spectators will not be allowed,” read the statement released by MHA.
However, one of the guidelines in the notification released on Sunday said that sports events will continue to be prohibited even in the fourth phase.
The reopening of stadiums and sports complexes from Monday (May 18) can get India’s sports federations started on their plan to resume sports, possibly clearing the path for resumption of training of athletes, which came to a halt in mid-March. Athletes based at Sports Authority of India (SAI) complexes in Patiala and Bengaluru have been demanding resumption of training.
BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal had said earlier this week that the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore is being prepared to be the site for a ‘post-lockdown regime’ for Indian cricketers in the fourth phase of the lockdown.
He had said some ‘outdoors skill-based training’ will be how Indian cricket will begin its resumption, adding that cricketers like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who are in high-risk zones in Mumbai, will not attend these camps.
