Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks, the Spanish Sports Council (CSD) held a remote meeting with the presidents for several of the nation’s sports federations on Monday, Aug. 24. On Tuesday, a decision was reached to provide additional funding to sports federations in order to stimulate regional sporting competitions.
In response to an increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations similar to that of March when a nearly three-month national lockdown was decreed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s Minister for Culture and Sport Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes held a first meeting with the presidents for several of the nation’s sports governing bodies.
Those federations included the National Governing Bodies for handball, basketball, soccer baseball and softball, skating, hockey, rugby and the national aquatics federation, RFEN‘s Fernando Carpena. The goal of that meeting was to reach a “consensual protocol” that would allow regional governing bodies for the different sports to resume competition.
That meeting led to the creation of a new platform on Tuesday which will advocate for a safe return to competition for the various sports in the different autonomous regions, although the inaugural meeting will take place next week, the press release says. Per that announcement, an initial document was sent out to the nation’s autonomous regions yesterday in an effort to create a common denominator.
In terms of swimming, although we reported in late July that a handful of LSC’s had brought their 2019-2020 calendars to a close, some regions did see swimmers back on deck, either through an in-person format incorporating a reduced number of athletes or racing virtually at their home pools.
Over the past several weeks, regions such as the Balearic Islands have held championship meets with a reduced number of athletes while meeting the guidelines outlined by national and local health officials. Other autonomies as Andalusia held its Summer 2020 Virtual Championships, where club teams were allowed to partake in time trials between July 27 and Aug. 7, and submit those as part of a finalized regional ranking encompassing age group through seniors.
Spain’s junior and senior national teams have also raced overseas throughout August, partaking in the Italian Open Water Championships or Pura Loulé 2020 on Portuguese soil.