Charmaine Gauci gives green light to restricted non-contact sport training

Charmaine Gauci, the Superintendent for Health, has given green light to restricted training for non-contact sports disciplines as the authorities released a clarification over the Legal Notice over banned organised sport.

Earlier this week, reports of people practising Padel in Gżira had raised a few eyebrows and the authorities have moved in to clarify the situation.

In a statement, the Superintendent for Health said that while organised sports activities remained banned, training sessions for non-contact sport are permitted in groups not bigger than four, unless they come from the same household.

“People can only gather outdoors in groups of no more than four (unless they come from the same household) to carry out a recreational physical activity and sporting activity for the purpose of exercise and keeping fit,” the statement said.

“Outdoor sporting and physical activity is permitted with up to a maximum of four persons (unless they come from the same household) doing the activity together. Such activities must abide by the Public Gathering Regulations.”

As regards indoor sporting and physical activity in private properties must too abide by the same regulation as those in the Groups of Persons in Residential Properties Regulations.

“Contact between persons is prohibited and masks are to be worn at all times except during high-intensity physical activity. Any form of competition is strictly prohibited and sporting and physical activity must not be done in such a way as to have or attract any spectators.”

The statement says that training sessions can be held in the following sporting disciplines – Walking and Power walking; Jogging, running and athletic activity; Fitness and Dance sessions with adequate social distancing of two metres between all persons; Cycling; Climbing; Horse Riding; Golf; Tennis/Padel; Shooting; Swimming; Sailing on individual dinghies or on larger boats where adequate social distancing between all persons can be respected; Archery; Fishing;

Gymnastics; Motor Sport; Model aircrafts; Scuba diving; Skateboarding; Surfing and Weightlifting.

“All recreational physical and sporting activities must comply with any other legislation at all times,” the statement concluded.