THE Tchoukball Association of the Philippines (TAP) is one of the many national sports associations (NSAs) in the country that is affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
And because of the restrictions imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases, TAP’s programs to further develop the sports across the country has been greatly affected.
TAP President Raymund Jamelo said that their association’s Adhoc Committee is trying to come up with activities that can still connect their coaches and players.
“Since IATF only allowed professional sports to restart their training, the rest of the sports are also eager to reopen,” he said.
“It’s our plan to introduce a program that is themed: ‘Staying Connected.’ We cannot afford to lose our connections with fellow coaches and players. In addition, we wish to address the ‘mental health issues’ affecting everyone,” Jamelo added.
When asked how the teams and players adjusted and kept themselves fit for almost six months under community quarantine, Jamelo stressed that they have planned on using inspirational materials like bible studies to focus on character building through the Zoom team meeting.
“To address physical fitness, we will be introducing individual training focused on harnessing their skills, and it will be supervised by a licensed coach,” he stressed.
“The idea is staying connected and it’s going to be a tall task, but this is our mission as an NSA,” Jamelo lamented.
“With regards to the International Tchoukball Federation (FITB), they just keep on sending training videos to those who wish to continue training. All international tournaments are put on hold for the time being,” added Jamelo, who is also the Southeast Asia Tchoukball Federation chief.
Jamelo also welcomed the development that PSC will soon have the training guidelines for amateur athletes under the new normal. “All NSA members are waiting for this,” he said.