Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree which authorizes athletes to resume team sports training on May 18, 2020 so long strict guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are maintained for the health and safety of everyone involved.
The paragraphs of article 1 which also concern our sport disciplines are as follows:
e) sporting events and competitions of any order and discipline are suspended, in public or private places. In order to allow the gradual resumption of sports activities, in compliance with priority health protection needs related to the risk of spreading from COVID-19, the training sessions of athletes, professionals and non-professionals, individual and team sports, are allowed, in compliance with the rules of social distancing and without any gathering, behind closed doors. Only athletes, professionals and non-professionals, recognized as of national interest by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), by the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP) and by their respective federations, in view of their participation in national and international competitions, can move from one region to another, upon convocation of the federation to which it belongs. For the purposes of this letter, specific Guidelines issued by the Office for Sport of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers are issued, after validation by the Technical-Scientific Committee set up at the Department of Civil Protection, on proposal from the Olympic Committee Italian National (CONI) and the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP), after consulting the Italian Sports Medical Federation (FMSI), the National Sports Federations, the Associated Sports Disciplines and the Sports Promotion Bodies;
g) for the implementation of the guidelines, referred to in letters e) and f) above, and in accordance with them, the National Sports Federations, the Associated Sports Disciplines and the Sports Promotion Bodies recognized by CONI and CIP, as well as the associations, clubs, sports centers and clubs, however named, even if not affiliated to any recognized sports organization, adopt, for the areas of their respective competence and in compliance with the legislation on social security and security, specific implementation protocols containing rules in detail to protect the health of athletes, system managers and all those who, for whatever reason, frequent the sites where basic sporting and motor activity in general take place.
This last point also refers to the Protocol for the Resumption of Training that the Federal Council outlined on May 16, 2020, which is downloadable at the link below. Click to access the Coronavirus Emegency page, which is updated on a daily basis and includes a section dedicated to Frequently Asked Questions.
by Marco Landi and Roberto Angotti
