Authorities assure consideration for a return will be given for pressing international duties

The Gibraltar Government assured today that sports with pressing international commitments will be considered to start training as soon as possible. This was among one of the items raised by the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo during a session in parliament where he said ‘that the signs are good’.
He was, however, unable to give a date for the start of training or any sporting activity, although the Chief Minister assured that with figures on the spread of Covid-19 going down consideration was being given to the eventual return of sports to training.
Highlighting that the Government was aware of the importance of the return of sports to provide mental and health benefits to practitioners who are presently at a standstill as Gibraltar eases out of its second lockdown.
Speaking at this Friday’s session of Parliament Chief Minister Fabian Picardo stated with reference to sport:- “I know that our sportsmen and sportswomen have been seriously affected by the lockdown.
“Mr Speaker, the Government is conscious that the practice of sport brings physical and mental health benefits to people of all ages.
“The return or organized sporting activity, as the House knows, is linked to the evolution of the pandemic.
“New infections are down, the total number of cases are down and the number of hospitalizations are down.
I therefore want to reassure our sportspeople that the signs are good and that we will be looking to allow a return to training for sports with pressing international commitments of course before all others.”
Restrictions on sports were implemented at the latter part of December with all facilities closed and permits suspended. Since then Gibraltar has lived through one of its worst periods during the global pandemic with the death toll rising to 80.
Among one of the sports which currently awaits a decision to return to training activities is football with its senior and under 21 squad both scheduled to play international qualifiers in March.

(Updated to include the Chief Minister’s statement in Parliament in relation to sport.)