OYDC Sports Centre re-opens

SUN SPORTS writes@SunZambian THE OYDC Zambia Sports Centre has re-opened after six months of indefinite suspension of all sport and non-sport activities at the multi facility youth sports center.Speaking during the Teulings Games which saw youths compete in Taekwondo, Beach Volleyball, Netball and Hockey, OYDC Chief Executive Officer Fredrick Chitangala said the Teulings games signaled the return of games at OYDC.Chitangala said that swimming and Judo will only restart when guidance is given by the Ministry of Health.He said the Teuling games will be held every week to prepare for the grand finale set for the first week of December.“The Teuling games definitely signals the return of games as you know we haven’t been on the field as we have missed for more than a year but we still have to close this year with a grand finale in December.“Instead of having these games once or twice a month we are going to be having these activities every week but there will be no swimming and the reason is because of the dangers that come with sharing water and these sports are not part of the sports that have been approved by the ministry of sports to be practiced right now,” Chitangala said.He said the centre is so far happy with the level of adherence to Ministry of Health guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of the Covid -19 pandemic.“So far so good, there has been some cooperation so this is how it is going to be but going forward the situation might change“We hope that we can recover everything we have lost by the end of November so that first week of December we can have the grand finale of the Teuling games,” Chitangala said.Dr. Chitangala says only sports disciplines like Netball, Hockey, Beach Volley and Basketball have so far resumed in a bid to maintain a minimum number of people at the facility while sharing aconcern about re-starting swimming.He noted that despite water being chlorinated, there was no evidence provided that swimmers would be protected from the Covid-19 virus.However, Dr. Chitangala said only young athletes will be allowed to train within the premises of OYDC in all sports disciplines that have resumed. The Sun