Coronavirus: Quebec allows combat sports to resume with additional health rules

After a months-long pause due to the COVID-19 health crisis, combat sports are set to progressively resume in Quebec starting Wednesday.

Isabelle Charest, the province’s minister responsible for sports, announced the much-anticipated green light for  training in boxing, judo, karate, wrestling and other contact sports — under certain rules.

“I am so happy to finally say that our combat sports can start once again,” she told reporters in Montreal on Tuesday.

There are, however, some public health directives that must be followed to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. Training groups are limited to four athletes who are only allowed to fight against one another and all participants must sign a consent form.

Athletes must also maintain a two-metre physical distance when they are not warming up or sparring. They will also be asked to carefully follow all health advice when outside the gym in order to prevent potentially transmitting the disease within their communities.

READ MORE: Quebec combat sports athletes, federations fighting to get back in the ring

Under the plan, tournaments are still not permitted. Charest said combat sports are not risk free in the pandemic and it’s important for athletes not to let their guard down.

“We will see how the situation progresses,” said Charest.

The decision comes as athletes and groups in combat sports had been pushing for their return as other individual and team sports were given the green light to resume.

“I am so grateful for the way they have handled themselves and the resilience they have shown and the way they have adapted to the situation,” said Charest. “I know it must have been frustrating.”

For Étienne Briand, a competitive athlete who is part of Canada’s national judo team, said he understood why combat sports were off limits and that it was a difficult decision to be made in the context of the pandemic, but he is excited to be able to train again.

“It’s a good step for us,” he said, adding there are still many challenges for combat sports to get back to where they were before COVID-19.

READ MORE: Extracurricular activities could resume in Quebec schools in two weeks, Legault says

The six federations representing different combat sports in Quebec also welcomed the decision Tuesday.

“This happy announcement will save a hundred combat sports clubs in difficult situations and will ensure sporting practice for several thousand members,” said Patrick Kearney, president of Judo Quebec, in a statement.

Since May, the Legault government has progressively given most individual and team sports — including golf, basketball and hockey — the go-ahead to slowly start again.

— With files from Global News’ Gloria Henriquez, Felicia Parrillo and the Canadian Press