The year’s brought in some good news for sports fans as the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced its plans on opening stadiums to the spectators at half its capacity. The move is seen as a resumption back to normalcy after all sports events were hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown that followed thereafter, and could be implemented from England tour of India.
Spectators Back At Stadiums in 2021
As announced by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in 2021 cricket stadiums could see a return of action and most importantly the fans as well. The decision is made to allow 50% of the spectators in the stadium from now on. The Ministry has issued a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which the tournament’s organising committee has to strictly follow. The protocol to be maintained during this period will be monitored by a special COVID-19 task force. Below are some of the guidelines to be in place:
1) The spectators at the sporting event would be in accordance with the guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs vide its letter No. 40-3/2020-DM-I (A); dated 25th November 2020 [Para 9 clause (v}) or as amended from time to time.
2) For outdoor events, spectators will be allowed upto a maximum of 50% of the total capacity of the stadium
3) CCTV monitoring should be planned for events to detect over-crowding at entry & exit gates and seating arena.
This however requires the mandatory clearance from local authorities as well.
BCCI To Cash In On The Move
The move to allow stadiums open their doors for spectators brings in good news to the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) as well who plan to host the 2021 edition of the India Premier League (IPL) back on home soil. The IPL commences after the England series. However, the first domestic event of the India’s cricket calendar, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy could still be played behind empty doors.