“In terms of friendliness for the players and activity and financial resources for the clubs, the interclubs represent a very important moment for all”, explains André Stein in a press release. “Nevertheless, a few days before the start of the first days, on the basis of the new measures taken by the CNS and after in-depth analysis of the material possibilities and the risks incurred, the Board of Directors of AFT has decided to cancel all interclubs. 2020 which were to begin this first weekend of August in all regions. After having done everything possible on several occasions to organize, plan, redraw the interclub calendar, we must resign ourselves, death in the soul, to take this difficult decision for everyone “.
The press release then sets out the reasons for this painful decision.
-health: even if the interclubs represent a magnificent moment of sport and conviviality, the health of participants, managers and club managers remains our priority.
-respect of the measures: after analysis, it turns out that several measures decreed by the CNS (bubble of 5, social distancing, wearing a mask, number of spectators, etc.) cannot be materially respected during interclubs.
-responsibility: even if the great majority of interclubs take place in a friendly and calm environment, a club could be held responsible for a complicated situation when it did not ask for it and it could not have been able to control. With fines.
-equity: several mayors have already decided to eliminate sports activities within their municipality and others will probably follow. How to accept that some players are allowed to participate and not others.
– withdrawals: since the start of the week, not wishing to take any risk, many clubs, teams and players have withdrawn and have indicated their wish not to participate in interclubs this year. What causes very many teams and incomplete series.
– Travel: how to imagine, in order to respect the measures and in particular the bubble of 5, forcing the players of the same team to move individually to the place of the meeting?
– Image and continuation of tennis activities: through AFT, tennis aims to be a clean and responsible sport. Allowing the holding of a team activity of this magnitude would not be a good signal and could call into question all the authorized activities which are carried out in a maximum safety framework.
-Signal: Through the new measures enacted, the CNS wanted to send a signal: stay as much as possible at home or close to home: avoid unnecessary travel and limit contact as much as possible.
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