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Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter

NATIONAL sport associations have said the approval of spectators at sporting events by the Sports Commission is a positive development.

The Sports Commission said the approval is a result of further engagements and consultations. Only fully vaccinated spectators will be allowed at sporting events and several conditions have to be adhered to:

1. In the case of the events to be held in stadia, 30 percent sitting capacity of fully vaccinated spectators is allowable.
2. As for events and activities held outside the confines of stadia and/ or in open spaces created and approved for sporting activities a maximum of 250 spectators are allowable.
3. All spectators should be fully vaccinated. Spectators must bring their vaccination cards to the events venue for inspection, including positive identification.
4. Standard zoning of the stadia/venue to separate the players, technical staff and others in the teams’ bio-secure bubbles, to be offered.
5. Allocation of spectators to respective bays — zones to be arranged prior to the match and advised to all admitted persons. As such, organisers are, therefore, encouraged to make arrangements for presale tickets or similar other mechanisms of admitting spectators, to improve logistical controls and minimise chances of crowding and breach of Covid-19 protocols.
6. Spectators to be evenly distributed across all bays/zones of event or activity hosting stadia/venue.
7. Separate gate entry points for spectators to be allocated to different bays or zones.
8. In terms of current Statutory Instrument, only fully vaccinated spectators (as well as participants, official delegates, volunteers and all event staff) shall be allowed into venues.
9. All spectators are required to adhere to all stipulated Covid-19 protocols as appropriate (including social distancing, sanitising and masking up etc).

“Sport is now being embraced as the business that it is,’’ Zimbabwe National Karate Federation president, Joe Rugwete, said.

“Sponsors make business decisions to invest in sport and for the return on their investment, they often advertise during sporting events.

“Without the spectators, the advertising reach is reduced significantly enough to affect the investment into sport.

“At the Zimbabwe National Karate Federation, we are excited by the decision of the SRC, as it makes it easier for us to appeal for sponsorship.”

Triathlon Zimbabwe president, David Ellis, said they will continue to maintain their precautionary measures, as they welcome back spectators.

“Having an audience seems to spur the athletes’ determination and adds to the flavour of the occasion which makes the sport more complete again,’’ he said.

“As a sporting body we have, however, left our Covid precautionary measures in place, so we are in compliance with our sports governing bodies.

“This entails the recording of temperatures and contact tracing at the entrances to our facilities and providing barriers to segregate athletes and spectators.

“We also encourage mask wearing and have measures to avoid unnecessary congregation without detracting from making the events fun.”

Rainbow Amateur Netball League secretary-general, Moses Gukurume, said they were excited although they do not get monetary benefits from the fans.

“We are excited about it because, with spectators at our courts, it adds on the excitement, so we are very pleased about it,’’ he said.

“It is, however, a sad thing about netball because we don’t usually make our spectators pay for watching netball, so we don’t derive any benefit out of spectators coming other than adding to the fun and excitement.’’

Zimbabwe Aquatic Union president, Mary Kloppers, said they do not expect much changes, since most of their spectators at their events, are officials.

“I must admit it has not really affected us much as so many potential spectators are actually officials,’’ she said.

“We have been battling with getting enough vaccinated officials to spread duties around, so I don’t anticipate many spectators.

“We hope that the requirement of negative Covid test before each gala is removed soon as this is hindering swimmers from participating, especially our younger swimmers.”

National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe president, Tendai Tagara, also welcomed the decision.