Can the COVID vaccine help start sports in SL?

By Shamseer Jaleel

CH & FC Team Manager Udani Edirisinghe

SLR President Rizly Ilyas

Sri Lanka was badly hit by the second wave after successfully handling the first one. Needless to say all citizens are responsible for the hiccup created in some way. For the last 12 months it has almost put a full stop to many things in our day to day life. With the COVID vaccine being introduced by India, Russia and China, can this help to kick start sports without further delay in Sri Lanka?

This is a good question to which we could find an answer and apply it to many of the daily issues faced today. For example, the My11Circle Lanka Premier League 2020, which was staged in Hambantota was a grand success. This event was done in an excellent and controllable way. During that time there was no COVID vaccine being found in the globe. 

However today, Sri Lanka has a better grasp of the matter. For example, players need not stay in quarantine if this vaccine is given. Take the Commanders Cup Rugby 2021, which is supported by the Ministry of Health and Sports, and is to be staged next month by Sri Lanka Air Force, who are doing an exemplary job under the new Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana. With the governing body, Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) has worked 24 hours a day to put things in order to kick start the oval-shaped ball game which has hit the lively hood of many players in rugby football.

Three teams have already pulled out from the tournament. Defending champions, Kandy Sports Club, CH & FC and CR & FC have shown their reasons to keep away from the shorter version of the game. Many teams feel that the quarantine time with players being kept in isolation for three weeks is too long. With COVID hitting hard, it has not allowed SLR to keep the 100-plus years old Clifford Cup knock out rugby tournament in 2020, resulting in players turning to their employers to find funds and run their family. 

With the COVID vaccine coming in to play; two dozes each for a maximum of 160 players plus officials could be kept on priority basis to vaccinate and kick start the sport. Even the other national players in various other sports could be put on priority basis for this. This will help them to train together as the risk of COVID spreading is very low. This could allow all teams to return back to the sport which they love.

CH & FC was the third team to pull out from the Commanders Cup 2021. They have written to SLR stating that “the EXCO decision was reached two days back to withdraw from the sevens tournament scheduled to be held shortly due to serious budgetary constraints and the lack of two key players, who have tested positive for the COVID-19, which will severely hamper our game plan, and it also does not permit us adequate practice time without our star members etc. We apologise for any inconvenience caused in this regard and wish you all the very best for a successful tournament”.    

SLR President Rizly Ilyas speaking to Daily FT said: “We are not surprised but saddened that the clubs have not managed their fundings, as from last year September SLR have been indicating with regard to the tournament and guidelines. Nevertheless, the tournament will go ahead with five teams. This Dialog Inter-Club Air Force Commanders trophy will have more quality with less clubs than quantity. Moving forward in the world of rugby, lots of changes will take place and we will have to adjust to only fewer clubs’ participation and give the tournament a different and exciting structure. 

Rizly speaking further said: “We are pleased with the athletes from the Forces, Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Havelock SC whose club management are well prepared. This gives SLR, the fans, players of SLR the hope that at least sevens’ rugby can get back to its feet under health regulations and guidelines.”

“The game changer in rugby moving forward would be all forces, police, and the only club, Havelocks, will be locked in with the best players in the country, which will give good competition to any tournament held moving forward.”

He ended as saying: “The good news is that a vaccine has been approved and should alleviate and render the virus more manageable by June 2021. In the meantime, we are witnessing different levels of difficulty, especially for provincial development teams and financial solvency for higher league teams. We have new teams coming in and we will disclose in the near future.”

CH & FC Team Manager Udani Edirisinghe speaking to Daily FT said: “We haven’t done training for the last 10-12 days and it takes few more weeks for the boys to get recovered. So, this does not allow us with good timing to get in to the bubble on the given dates. Further, majority of the boys are doing jobs; for them to stay away from work for a longer period of time does not do any justice for their employers.”