Basketball chiefs call on government to outline plan for sport to resume

'Our sport has had a handbrake applied since March,' Basketball Ireland CEO Bernard O’Byrne said. 'We’ve led from the front when it came to dealing with Covid-19'

The governing body has earmarked a date in early January for the leagues to begin

Basketball Ireland has called for a clear government plan to be put in place to allow for the sports' resumption.

With their top national competitions sidelined due to Covid-19 restrictions, the governing body has earmarked a date in early January for the leagues to begin - but they want the government to outline what a return to action looks like

It comes as Sport Ireland CEO John Treacy told an Oireachtas hearing yesterday that the resumption of indoor sports like basketball are “a long way away”.

In a statement, Basketball Ireland say they contacted Treacy, who said he was giving a personal opinion, and not outlining the Sport Ireland or government policy.

Basketball Ireland CEO Bernard O’Byrne said the sport needs "the government to provide a clear pathway for us to resume".

“Our sport has had a handbrake applied since March," he said. "We’ve led from the front when it came to dealing with Covid-19, calling a halt to our league back in spring.

Basketball Ireland and our clubs have since invested a lot time, money and effort to put necessary safety measures in place, which has resulted in no cases emerging through basketball activity anywhere in the country. We now need the government to provide a clear pathway for us to resume.

Byrne added that while other elite sports have continued, basketball has been "ignored".

"We now want government to agree a schedule for basketball’s return, so we, and our clubs, can plan accordingly, without being left in limbo,” he added.

Basketball Ireland is also calling for the government to provide a clear exit plan from level 5 for sport, once restrictions are eased next month.