Only BAF, BSSF ready to hold training
While the Bangladesh Cricket Board and Bangladesh Football Federation are making their own plans for the resumption of national training, most indoor sports disciplines are not yet in position to resume amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russel on Thursday sat with higher-ups of seven federations and one association to judge the possibility of resuming activities, which have been halted since mid-March. Russel agreed to resume training in contactless sports, subject to health ministry clearance, after exchanging opinions with officials of archery, shooting, swimming, handball, volleyball, karate, taekwondo and the women's sports association.
So far, only the archery and shooting federations have shown eagerness to resume training as their athletes are due to take part in the Tokyo Olympics next year.
Bangladesh Archery Federation general secretary Kazi Razibuddin Ahmed Chapal said: "We are completely ready to resume the national camp within a week if the sports ministry gives us the go-ahead because we have already prepared our training plan in light of recommendations from the WHO, World Archery and local health guidelines."
"Despite the pandemic, India started their training camp. South Korea and Thailand completed their national championships while China has also started training," said Chapal, adding that they wanted to start the camp with 12 to 16 archers at the Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master Stadium in Tongi.
Although Bangladesh Shooting Federation general secretary Inthekhabul Hamid could not be reached, Chapal informed Hamid was positive at the meeting about the resumption of shooters' training.
Officials of the swimming, handball, volleyball and karate federations told this reporter that they were not ready to resume activities due to challenges in maintaining sanitary measures.
"There is no environment to resume because it is tough to maintain health measures. However, swimmers Ariful Islam and Junayna Ahmed are training abroad," said Bangladesh Swimming Federation general secretary BM Saif, who was eager to resume national training on a small scale.
Bangladesh Handball Federation general secretary Asaduzzaman Kohinoor said: "208 countries play handball across the world and no country has resumed yet. Besides, parents will not allow children to take part in such a situation. So we want to wait but we have arranged different courses for coaches and judges maintaining social distance."
"Volleyball is a contact sport. At the moment, we are not in a position to start the game. Besides, we don't have any hurry with having no international meets. Construction work is still going on at our venue, so we will restart once the situation is normal," Bangladesh Volleyball Federation general secretary Ashikur Rahman Miku said.
"If we start training or tournaments at the moment, we can't control the spread of coronavirus because karatekas will come from across the country. But if the government provide us with facilities, then we think of resuming with a residential camp for the national team on a small scale," said Bangladesh Karate Federation vice-president Moazzem Hossain Sentu, adding that Taekwondo wanted to stage demonstrations, which had no contact.
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