Plan on football, other contact and combat sports to be tabled next week, says Ismail Sabri

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 — Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican is expected to table the ministry’s plan on contact and combat sports next week, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

“Next week, the Youth and Sports Minister is expected to table the recovery movement control order (RMCO) plan on suggestions permitting full training of contact sports such as football, futsal, combat sports and others, to the Special Meeting of Ministers. So God willing, we wait,” he said.

Ismail said that he had received pleas from football associations as well as futsal stadium operators to allow their respective sports as well as football championships to resume.

“Prior to this the government allowed training and sports activities as well as recreation which does not have body contact, individually, and not in teams, beginning June 15, 2020.

“As I said, the government listens to the pleas and grouses of contact sports operators and football associations to reopen contact sports activities,” he added.

Ismail said that the Youth and Sports Ministry would also table suggestions for sports and recreation championships in stages, to be considered by the Special Meeting of Ministers, which would then be referred to the Ministry of Health (MOH) for its approval.

“However, the decision to allow contact sport activities is reliant on the advice from the National Security Council and the MOH,” he added.

All sporting events have been on hold since March 18 when the movement control order was imposed in efforts to contain the Covid-19 outbreak.

Restrictions have slowly been eased up for some sports since.

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