MUSCAT: The owners of gymnasiums, health and fitness centres find they are going tough in the Covid-19 pandemic period over the suspension of such activities in the Sultanate.
In Oman, several people are occupied with such jobs as fitness instructors and trainers while many others miss their valuable workout sessions.
The Supreme Committee, in charge of dealing with the Covid-19 related measures, had suspended all sports and related activities due to the spread of Covid-19 cases in the country from April 1 till further notice.
With the suspension completing two months, the owners and staff along with the trainees have appealed to the Supreme Committee to grant permission for these health and fitness centres under the strict medical protocol.
“The closing of our centres have put us in deep trouble. Now, since it has reached 60 days after the ban, we appeal to the Supreme Committee to grant permission for us to follow medical protocols. Otherwise, our lives face serious difficulties,” Hilal al Abdalli, Oman’s international karate referee and an instructor at the Shotokan Karate Centre, said.
Many instructors feel these fitness centres keep people healthy and happy.
“The gymnasiums and sports fitness centres promote a healthy lifestyle and it is important these centres open with medical protocols. It will in fact help people stay fit and healthy in this time of the pandemic,” Sensei Farid al Suheibi told Oman Daily Observer. “The sports activities help to lower anxiety and improve the mood of the people and increase the immune system of the body,” Farid said.
The fitness guru called on the authorities to grant permission to only those centres which can strictly adhere to the Covid-19 related precautionary measures.
“Now children are spending long hours of online studies. It is important to provide them with some leisure and fitness activities too. Parents should take care of this aspect as well,” the health instructor added.
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES
Some other instructors like Iqbal al Balushi, who runs a kick-boxing centre, are facing financial backlogs after closing their centres and generating no incomes.
“We have big amounts of bank cheques to pay along with the monthly rents couples with the electricity, water bills. We cannot also pay our staff employees as there is no revenue from the centre,” Iqbal said.
“We are at a crossroads with the pressure from sponsors and other financial commitments to fulfil.”
“We appeal to the Supreme Committee to urgently consider our plea and grant permission to those centres ready to implement precautionary measures stipulated by the authorities.”
Several other health instructors also promise to carry out the sessions with well-ventilated facilities or open-air classes if required.
The hard-pressed owners of these sports fitness centres however expressed hope for a favourable decision from the Supreme Committee soon after considering their plight.
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