UK government issues guidance on safe sports training

The British government has issued guidance on how elite sportsmen and women can safely return to training, paving the way for the potential relaunch of top-level action.

Professional sport, currently on hold due to the coronavirus, can return behind closed doors in England from June 1.

Under step one of the guidance, athletes, players and coaches can return to training premises for "organised individual programme training".

That can include individual training or groups of individual athletes training in the same facility but adhering to social-distancing rules.

Step two would allow "social clustering", with athletes and staff able to come into closer contact, for example tackling, sparring and sharing equipment.

A move to the second stage would only take place once the government had given the go-ahead.

The guidance also states that each sport should have a COVID-19 medical officer.

"Enabling athletes to get match-fit is an important milestone towards restarting competitive sport behind closed doors -- but we have not given a green light yet," said Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

"We are clear that this can only happen on the advice of medical experts and when it is safe to do so."
"Every sport is different and everyone's personal circumstances are different and whilst clearly there are many who are keen to return to training as soon as possible, there are those who will have genuine concerns or personal circumstances that make this challenging."