Teams train without testing
Chakalisa Dube | Friday October 30, 2020 14:39
In May, BFA declared the season complete, citing prohibitive costs as reason for not playing the full campaign. Then, the BFA said that the most ideal time for football to return would be when there is a vaccine.
“Without these (vaccine and proven effective treatment) a safe return can be possible with serial COVID-19 testing hence we advise that we exercise patience in observing the disease evolution and in dealing with the matter bearing in mind that we have a limited testing capacity nationally to allow a compulsory regular pre-match (coronavirus) COVID-19 testing for all teams,” the BFA medical committee said in May.
At the time the BFA indicated that clubs would have to fork a combined P305,942,820, if the season was to be concluded. Most of the costs were to go towards testing of players and disinfection of facilities. The BFA said that it was not attainable to raise such amount of money so that the season could be completed. The season was ultimately declared complete.
BFA general manager, Monnakgotla Mojaki defended the resumption of football activities without testing. “One of the reasons why we have decided that there will be no testing is because players do not stay in the bubble. If they were staying in a bubble it would have been ideal to test them. Because they train and go home it will defeat logic and purpose to test them before training starts,” he said yesterday.
“They (players), however, undergo other medical tests before they start training. Those medical tests will also help us detect those who might be having other ailments that make them prone to COVID-19 and act promptly.
In addition those who show COVID-19 symptoms will be isolated and dealt with accordingly.”
Mojaki noted that for now club training activities are conducted in line with prescribed government COVID-19 regulations.
“As for national team players they stay in camp and undergo COVID-19 testing, which is a pre-requisite for national team players,” he said. He also shot down suggestions that the recent decision (not conducting COVID-19 tests and starting the season without a vaccine) by the BFA solidifies critics’ argument that the decision to end the season was taken prematurely. “The decision to nullify the 2019-2020 season was taken looking at the prevailing circumstances then as well as the evolution of the disease,” he said. Meanwhile, clubs such as Gaborone United (GU) have started training. Yesterday GU financier, Nicholas Zakhem said his team did not conduct COVID-19 regulations, as they are not mandatory. He, however, said the team is following all COVID-19 regulations.
“Our training sessions do not last longer and players do not train in large numbers. If we see the need for players to undertake COVID-19 tests they will do them,” he said.