Sports organisations: 'Do not create barriers to the gym'

New measures to limit the number of coronavirus infections will be announced this week. Dutch public broadcaster NOS reports that visitors to gyms will have to show that they have been vaccinated or tested. Partly on behalf of the VA, the umbrella organisation for Dutch sport NOC*NSF and the association of entrepreneurial sports providers POS, among others, have jointly sent an urgent letter to the government arguing against additional barriers to the gym.

The sports sector fears that such a requirement will deter people from visiting the gym. During the pandemic the message was already: sport is not part of the problem but part of the solution. That message is now being repeated.

Over the past two years fewer people have been physically active. This leads to additional overweight, while overweight is an important risk factor for people who contract coronavirus.

Any measures may have adverse consequences for athletes and for sports providers. The sports organisations have jointly given a clear signal. If the measures are introduced after all, sports providers must be compensated financially.

A press conference on the new coronavirus measures will be held on Tuesday 2 November. If the measures have consequences for combat sports, an update will follow on our website the next day.

Read the urgent letter here.