This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
On May 13, 2020, the British government issued crucial guidance on how elite sportsmen and women can safely return to training, marking a significant step towards the potential relaunch of top-level action.
Professional sport, currently on hold due to the coronavirus, can return behind closed doors in England from June 1. The guidance outlines two stages for the return to training: the first stage allows athletes, players, and coaches to return to training premises for organized individual programme training, while the second stage enables social clustering, with athletes and staff able to come into closer contact.
According to the guidance, each sport should have a COVID-19 medical officer. Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, emphasized that enabling athletes to get match-fit is an important milestone towards restarting competitive sport behind closed doors, but stressed that a green light has not yet been given.
Many football clubs are already carrying out individual sessions for players and are hoping for a return to group training as early as next week, with the Premier League aiming to resume its season by playing games by mid-June. However, the clamour of sports authorities to return to action has been met with some resistance from professional athletes, worried that their health is being put at risk.
England international footballers Raheem Sterling and Danny Rose raised their concerns earlier this week, and the Premier League held talks on Wednesday with unions representing players and managers. Chief executive of UK Sport Sally Munday noted that the choice to return to training is also a personal one, and that every sport is different, with varying personal circumstances.
