Elite athletes facing 'great uncertainty' ahead of Tokyo Olympics, Sport Ireland warns

Elite athletes are facing "great uncertainty" due to the coronavirus pandemic, warns Sport Ireland Chief Executive John Treacy. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Elite athletes who would have been competing in the Tokyo Olympics face "a time of great uncertainty" while indoor sports at all levels are facing into a tough winter, Sport Ireland has said. 

Speaking before the Oireachtas special committee on Covid-19 response, Chief executive of Sport Ireland John Treacy outlined the challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak, from capacity issues at venues through to cuts in resources and the impact on the ability of clubs to raise funds. 

Speaking about elite-level sport, he described how those due to compete at this year's Olympic Games had been primed for competition, only for the postponement of the event due to Covid-19, something he described as a "major setback". 

He said it was "a time of great uncertainty" for those athletes, while those at local level faced their own difficulties, particularly indoor sports such as basketball and swimming. 

Mr Treacy said Sport Ireland undertook an initial analysis to identify the potential short and medium-term challenges facing sport in Ireland, which showed that for the first three months of the crisis beginning in March, the national governing bodies sector would have the capacity to manage a period of intense restrictions without significant issue. 

"Four to six months would be significantly challenging for sports, especially those with a summer season," he said. 

"Beyond that, and into the winter season for indoor sports, the crisis presented a broader sectoral challenge. 

Notwithstanding the financial challenges associated with the restrictions through loss of gate receipts, membership income and commercial activity, the primary challenge for national governing bodies is the uncertainty associated with planning for the future, particularly the planning of competitions and events.

One rare bright spot amid the current crisis was the increase in participation in sporting activity.

The proportion of adults described as sedentary in the National Sports Policy has declined to 11% compared to 22% during the same period in 2019.

"This is the lowest level of sedentarism ever recorded by Sport Ireland," said Mr Treacy.

"The numbers of adults walking for recreation increased throughout the crisis, increasing by a cumulative 18% over the five phases of the research. 

"The figure of 83% is the highest level ever recorded, and is equivalent to over 3.1m regular walkers."