Verhaert: "Making amateur sports and indoor sports possible, if possible"Posted at 15:43h in youth, Chamber of Representatives, sport by Ilse De NutteThe corona figures show a hopeful downward trend, temperatures outside improve and in the meantime everyone has walked and cycled enough in small groups.

"A lot of people are eager to do something different in terms of sport. Moreover, we must not lose sight of the positive consequences of sports, including in terms of public health", says Marianne Verhaert (Open Vld) in the plenary session in the Chamber. It looks at the government's position on allowing sports betting times back in. Premier De Croo said the Consultative Committee would look on Tuesday to lift the match ban and find a safe way for competitions to take place. Verhaert thinks it is extremely positive that from next Saturday (May 8) the relaxations allow us to exercise outdoors again with 25 people. "The catch, however, is that these sports matches are still prohibited. Minister Weyts referred to the federal rules in the plenary session of the Flemish Parliament yesterday. That is a statement that leaves his own responsibility underexposed", verhaert notes. Indeed, the notifications of the Consultation Committee literally state that the competent Community Ministers take the decision to suspend amateur competitions for adults (notifications OC 22 October 2020) and do not allow competitions (notifications OC 28 January 2021). "The federal government is implementing what has been loyally decided in the Consultative Committee," Prime Minister De Croo said. In my opinion, making competitions possible – in the first phase, of course without an audience and focused on outdoor sports – is a logical consequence of the relaxations that will take effect next Saturday. In the long term, therefore, we need to look at indoor sports, especially those where distance rules can be easily respected: we think of indoor tennis or the popular padel", says Verhaert.She also emphasizes the importance of the 'forgotten indoor sports'." Not only for the athletes but also for the people who teach. They yearn to be allowed to work again: think of personal training, fitness and dance that have no perspective to date. This can be viewed and handled by sport through the necessary protocols where community ministers also contribute their expertise," the Liberal MP stressed. The Prime Minister is also confident that we can find a way for the government to find a way for the sports to take place safely.