‘This announcement comes as a huge relief for everyone in basketball’ – McDevitt

BASKETBALL Ireland welcomes today’s announcement from the Irish government that games and competitions for U18 and below will be permitted.

As reported on Echo.ie earlier this week, the future of basketball for tens of thousands of children was at risk due to an announcement by Sport Ireland that only players possessing a valid digital Covid certificate, or recovery cert, should participate in indoor sports. 

Basketball Ireland chairman, Paul McDevitt said: “We’re obviously delighted that the government has listened to what those in indoor sport have been saying and common sense has prevailed to allow our underage players continue playing.

“Our underage players are crucial to our sport, they’re our future, and they’ve been starved of basketball for so long.

“This announcement comes as a huge relief for everyone in basketball.”

Basketball Ireland has received the full guidelines from Sport Ireland and will be communicating with all the stakeholders in the game.

The new guidelines mean the “pod of six” system can be adjusted to allow for U18 games and competitions, however the “pod of six” remains in place for all other basketball scenarios, such as training.

The Sport Ireland updated guidelines will be in place until approximately February 2022.

Charles Higgins, chair of Basketball Ireland’s ‘Return to Play’ committee, added: “We have analysed the guidelines from Sport Ireland.

“They have said the continued use of the pod system for the majority of basketball activity, bar games and competitions, is to minimise risk and to help facilitate contact tracing.

“The basketball community has shown true commitment in administering all the Covid-19 protocols that have been put in place so far and I’d like to thank them for that.”