When will contact sports resume?

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

It’s been almost three months since all sporting events were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of the country’ safety protocol to combat the pandemic, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases put out guidelines under each quarantine level on what to observe and implement, and the world of contact sports in the Philippines is still waiting for the gavel to be smacked directly on the green button.

With different sports committees including the Games and Amusement Board (GAB), and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) passing proposals to the IATF and DOH regarding the return of contact sports, the process is still long and both organizing bodies are having a hard time in releasing their final decision.

As Iloilo City prepares to slide down from Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) to the “new normal,” sports enthusiasts are hoping that the IATF and the local government would finally allow them to play contact sports.

Under the “new normal” strict guidelines that should be followed and observed are wearing of face masks and social distancing.

One thing that holds back the IATF and DOH regarding their decision of allowing contact sports again not only in Iloilo but in the country is that social distancing would automatically be negated.

However, several people are already clamoring that without sports (which they consider as their primary means of exercise), they feel that their health is currently affected and they sometimes feel weak.

Some people who prefer to play basketball, football, and volleyball, which are labeled under contact sports, are already making proposals as to how they can resume, but DOH recently said that all proposals are under review and will take time to be decided.

With the pandemic still ongoing and different health sectors finding the best solutions, it is still best for everybody to stay safe to help halt the spread of the virus.

Excitement can wait, but death chooses no one.