In anticipation of the various individual non-contact sports beginning training, Sports Minister Isaac Asiamah has outlined how his outfit has overseen the fumigation of all state-owned sporting facilities.

This is part of wider efforts by the government of Ghana. Over the past month, there has been a nationwide fumigation effort of a myriad facilities such as schools, hospitals, and markets.

These have been done to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, while heralding a return to normalcy.

And now, with President Akufo-Addo, on Sunday, declaring that selected non-contact sports are part of measures to ease restrictions, it has become necessary to ensure similar saftey measures at sporting facilities.

“The [National Sports Authority] together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports has undertaken a nationwide fumigation of all stadia across the country, including offices, spectators’ sitting area, VIP Lounges among others have all been fumigated,” Asiamah said. 

Following the ban on all sporting activities in March, state-owned sporting facilities have been closed in that three- month period.

What are non-contact sports?

The Ministry, at briefing, all announced the list of 20 individual non-contact sporting disciplines cleared as a result of the ease of restrictions. It is important to note that competitions for these sports are not allowed. However, only training regimes are permitted, for now.

By definition, "non-contact sports are those where participants should have no possible means of touching," Asiamah said.

"Non-contact sports are those where participants should have no possible means of touching. In view of the nature of the COVD-19 pandemic, team sports do not qualify for exemption because of non-adherence to physical distancing."

The list is as follows:

1. Athletics
2. Badminton
3. Baseball and softball
4. Chess
5. Cricket
6. Cycling
7. Golf
8. Gym
9. Individual non-contact para sports
10. Keep fit clubs (100 persons limit(
11. Polo
12. Powerlifting
13. Scrabble
14. Shooting
15. Snooker
16. Swimming
17. Table tennis
18. Tennis
19. Water sports
20. Weight lifting