There will likely be no competitive sports in Israel for at least the next six months, according to Health Ministry deputy director-general Itamar Grotto, who spoke Sunday at a Knesset Coronavirus Committee meeting.
“For at least the next six months, it will not be possible to do competitive sports, especially contact sports,” Grotto said.
The committee is working on developing a strategic plan to restore personal and competitive sports in the State of Israel.
"In every other country, citizens can already go out into the open air, and in our country we feel like criminals. The government makes a whole community feel that it is committing an offense,” said Bracha “Beatie” Deutsch, the ultra-Orthodox marathoner and mother of five who was set to represent Israel in the next Olympics. She spoke as a representative of the country’s competitive athletes.
"No help or financial support is given to professional athletes,” Deutsch stressed. “Top-tier athletes, small gyms – dozens of private gyms – have applied for state guarantees. I don't know anyone who got one.”
Health centers are losing 10% to 15% of their members, according to Yaron Sela, who represented small workout centers at the meeting. He said there is a real concern that these gyms might not be able to recoup the loss.
At the same time, Gili Lustig, secretary general of the Olympic Committee of Israel, said that the postponement of the Olympics and other international competitions, combined with coronavirus restrictions, has “resulted in complete paralysis of Israeli sports. We are in complete uncertainty as to what can be done later.”
Deutsch explained that running “is a basic and essential need for everyone” and that limiting the sport to 500 meters was “very challenging.”
She noted that people are living in isolation, which could lead to depression and mental health issues, and that running can help combat this predicament. She said that studies show that running specifically – and sports in general – help strengthen one’s immune system.
An article published in 2019 by the American Psychological Society showed that “lack of social connection heightens health risks as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or having alcohol-use disorder.” The piece also demonstrated that loneliness and social isolation are twice as harmful to physical and mental health as obesity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that not getting enough physical activity can contribute to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, several cancers and obesity.
“We must demand that the Health and Culture and Sports ministries formulate a serious plan for a comprehensive return of all personal and competitive sports, including restoring workout gyms, and increasing the range of home exits for physical activity,” said Yoel Razvozov (Yesh-Atid), who had prompted Sunday’s meeting.
But Grotto said he could not budge. Rather, he committed the Health Ministry to revisiting the issue in two weeks, after the country evaluates how the first phase of the exit strategy impacts the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“We want to see the infection rate – it will take two weeks minimum to see the consequences of the steps we’ve taken,” Grotto said. “I don’t think it is right to go from 0 to 100.”