Seventeen Gipuzkoa sports federations have called on the basketball-federation-dissatisfied-with-the-suspension-of-school-age-basketball/” title=”The Gipuzkoan basketball federation, "dissatisfied" with the suspension of school-age basketball”>Basque Government this Monday to lift the ban on school sports competitions “this very week”, one of the measures established by the regional executive to try to contain the sixth wave of COVID-19.
Representatives of the federations of football, basketball, handball, athletics, gymnastics, weightlifting, hockey, judo, mountain, swimming, ball, triathlon sailing, hunting, underwater, herri kirolak and adaptive sportsor they have offered a joint press conference to demand that the Basque Government revoke this measure and allow children to practice their sport.
The federations have expressed their “total disagreement” with the ban, which they have crossed out and “incomprehensible”, since, as has happened on previous occasions during the pandemic, the Basque Country is the only community that prevents sport among the smallest to stop the infections.
“In Gipuzkoa society, the practice of sport is an essential activity, especially if we refer to early ages. But, instead of considering it essential, school sport was paralyzed for almost a year and a half, which has meant that many boys and girls have abandoned the practice of sports”, regret the federations.
The signatories have highlighted that, while the children in the juvenile and infantile categories are not allowed to compete, “Another series of activities involving crowds are allowed, penalizing one of the healthiest habits.” In his opinion, the suspension of school sports “is not based on any scientific evidence nor does it have any benefit in terms of improving the health situation”, as, they maintain, “many experts have stated in recent days”.
The federations have recalled that amateur sport “has lived up to what society expects of it” and has shown an attitude that has allowed “carrying out sporting activity in a safe environment”. “There are tens of thousands of athletes, both federated and school, who have been enjoying their sport since last September without any negative consequences being detected,” they added. The federations, which have not maintained any contact with the Basque Government, although they have with the Provincial Council, will send this statement to the Basque Government Sports Directorate.
