MANILA – The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) has drafted guidelines for the return of athletics training under the “new normal” state.
PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico said the proposal is set to be submitted to the Philippine Sports Commission within this week for screening and approval by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
“Hopefully, we will be allowed by the government to resume our activities once these quarantine protocols are approved sometime in July or August,” Juico said.
Under PATAFA’s proposed guidelines, athletes and coaches in the national track and field pool should submit their quarantine passes before they would be given the green light to train together at a designated venue.
Athletes and coaches who went out of the country 14 days before the training date, meanwhile, would be denied joining group practices.
Enlisted personnel, on the other hand, would be required to secure their military passes before they can join trainings.
Strict physical distancing will be enforced at the training venue. Runners will race in separate lanes while field athletes such as jumpers and throwers must practice one at a time before returning to their respective “neutral” or safe places.
Coaches and trainers must also maintain proper social distancing while maintaining two to three meters gap between their designated athletes. Instructions will be done individually, and they must discuss among themselves beforehand what will take place during the workouts.
At the training site, coaches must always wear their face masks while athletes can take theirs off during workouts.
Only national athletes and coaches will be allowed at the venue during the training period.
Some track and field events have been allowed by the IATF-EID to resume in areas under general community quarantine./PN
