Given the worsening COVID-19 situation, the Bhutan Olympic Committee (BOC) will not accept requests for organising any tournaments until further notice. However, the ongoing tournaments approved by the committee will be allowed with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols. This they said is in line with the recent notification from the Prime Minister’s Office cautioning the general public on the worrying situation of the pandemic.
The notification issued by the BOC on Tuesday informed that all National Sports Federations and Sports Associations to reschedule their plans and programmes for the conduct of any tournament henceforth.
Likewise, the committee also reminded them to strictly monitor and Implement COVID-19 protocols for all the BOC-approved recreational games, training, and tournaments to date.
One such approved tournaments by the BOC was the upcoming Bhutan Higher Secondary School Football Championship scheduled to be held this month. Respecting the decision, the Bhutan Football Federation (BFF) yesterday decided to postpone the tournament until further notice.
“Most of the districts, where high school tournament will be held, are worried that the tournament will further pose risk in the transmission of coronavirus in various districts. So, at the moment it is on hold, we didn’t cancel it. We will look into the situation as we still have time,” said Phuntsho Wangdi, the Head of Commercial and Communication with the BFF.
However, the federation plans to conduct the tournament soon with the improving situation of COVID-19.
“We are expecting the situation to get better in another two to three months. If the situation gets better and we get the approval from the COVID-19 task force, we are ready to roll it,” the Head of Commercial and Communication at the BFF added.
Likewise, the BFF also has not been able to conduct the annual Veteran and Departmental tournament due to the pandemic. Since the resumption of all sports tournaments in the country in March, the BOC so far has approved the conduct of six tournaments in Thimphu alone.
Passang Dorji
