SINGAPORE: Singapore Turf Club will resume racing behind closed doors from Jul 11 after receiving approval from the Government, it announced in a media release on Monday (Jun 22). The club will resume racing with “strict health and safe management measures in place” after Singapore entered the second phase of its post-circuit breaker reopening, it added. Racing fixtures for July to September 2020 will be announced on the club’s racing portal. “The welfare and health of everyone involved with racing at the Singapore Racecourse remains a top priority for the club,” it said. “The club will put in place strict protocols and safe management measures to ensure the conduct of race meetings held behind closed doors resumes safely and efficiently, when race operations restart.” During this period of time, the Singapore Racecourse will not reopen to the public to minimise risk of COVID-19 transmission. Phase 2 started on Jun 19 , during which most activities including limited … [Read more...] about Singapore Turf Club to resume racing ‘behind closed doors’ from Jul 11
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Top Brazilian clubs defy order to resume playing as epidemic rages
REUTERS: Two of Brazil's top soccer clubs, Botafogo and Fluminense, said on Tuesday they would defy an order from their federation to resume competitive play this week as the country's daily coronavirus death toll hovers around 1,000. The Rio de Janeiro state football federation proposed that the state championship, one of several tournaments that take place before the national leagues begin, restart on June 18 pending state government approval. Botafogo president Nelson Mufarrej called the ruling "disconnected from reality", and both clubs said they planned to take legal action on health and safety grounds. "Unfortunately, the majority of clubs understand that this is the time to play games again, in spite of the chaotic scenes we’re living through right now," Mufarrej said in a statement. "We’re against it." Botafogo later said they would begin training for a possible restart in July. Director Carlos Montenegro told Radio Transamerica the earliest they would agree to play … [Read more...] about Top Brazilian clubs defy order to resume playing as epidemic rages
Football: Dortmund defend players’ haircuts amid tight health protocol
BERLIN: The Bundesliga's health safety protocols were not breached when six Borussia Dortmund players, including England international Jadon Sancho, got their hair cut this week and took photos without face masks, the club said on Thursday. The 20-year-old Sancho, a rising star and a top transfer target for major clubs, and his team mates got hair cuts and took photos with the hairdresser without any facial protection, which goes against the league's health safety guidelines. "He should not have done it," Dortmund sports director Michael Zorc told a virtual news conference. "We were all young once, 18, 19, 20." "In this current special situation it is not only the coach and the coaching staff but the entire club that has to be careful with discipline. "We have talked to all those involved and they assured us that all hygiene guidelines regarding visitors were adhered to. Only for the photo were the masks taken off. That is something that should not have happened of course." … [Read more...] about Football: Dortmund defend players’ haircuts amid tight health protocol
European club finals could be in October, organisers say
REUTERS: This season's European club rugby finals could be staged in October while a number of one-off formats are being considered for next season, organisers said on Thursday. European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) said it was making "every effort" to conclude this season's Champions Cup and second tier Challenge Cup tournaments which were halted before the quarter-finals due to the coronavirus pandemic. It said the resumption of both competitions was subject to official advice and with the health and welfare of players, club staff, match officials, supporters and the wider rugby community in mind. "It is hoped that the 2020 finals could be staged on 16 and 17 October," EPCR said. It said that the formats being considered for next season included a 24-club Champions Cup - compared to the usual 20 - with eight representatives from each of Europe's leading league competitions, played over eight weekends. Any new format would only apply next season, it said. (Reporting … [Read more...] about European club finals could be in October, organisers say
Premier League, clubs ‘scared’ to publicly back restart, says Neville
REUTERS: The Premier League and its clubs are "frightened to death" about publicly backing the resumption of the season as they do not want to be held liable if someone dies because of the coronavirus, television pundit Gary Neville said on Sunday. Professional soccer has been suspended since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has infected over 182,000 people in the United Kingdom, killing more than 28,000. The 20 Premier League clubs held a conference call on Friday in which they looked at plans for a resumption of training this month but deferred making a decision on resuming the season until the government gave the go-ahead. The government had originally set May 7 as the day it would review lockdown restrictions. "The PL are having a CV nightmare. They keep spouting health first but then brief constantly 'We have to re-start'," Neville wrote on Twitter https://twitter.com/GNev2/status/1256847011933978624. "I'd respect them more if they said, 'We accept the … [Read more...] about Premier League, clubs ‘scared’ to publicly back restart, says Neville