Cerca de 2000 athletes, from 34 disciplines, belonging to the Sports Concentration of Pichincha (CDP), are working remotely with training routines, all waiting for the situation of the coronavirus in the country to be regularized. Jaime Ruiz, president of the entity, analyzed the present and what the future would be for the gold and grain sport, with suspended competitions and schedules. Even a decrease in the number of athletes, which would be the worst-case scenario for provincial and national sports.

How has the management been with the athletes during this quarantine?

We have around 100 coaches who are working with computer systems, through telecommuting, monitoring athletes so that they can maintain physical activity and fulfill a role in their environments, in their homes, during this crisis. With daily habits and qualitative values of discipline and order, which also infect their families with the leadership that an athlete who trains in our entity carries. This while waiting for a date to start the recovery plan based on the new sports calendar.

Is this based on the decisions of which organizations?

What the International Olympic Committee and the Secretariat of Sport determine. The IOC sets the standard for the Olympic cycle, with Bolivarian Games, South American Games, and other reference instances that serve to define work plans for athletes.

And at a local level, what happens with the competitions?

We had Youth Games in May (Cañar), the prelude to the absolute category where records and technical level are some of the best in the country. The Minor Games were scheduled for September.

What will happen with these competitions?

It depends on what the Secretariat of Sport determines, to see if these games are held this year or if they are postponed.

Without defined dates, how would this work be extended?

We have to continue with total follow-up, although there is still uncertainty about when this quarantine will end. That is the expectation we have to resume the work of our athletes.

Will the decision to resume discipline training also go through technical decisions?

Each sport needs to recover the technical level, a specific work plan. Each discipline, with its technicians, will have to make suggestions. As an organization, we will have to recommend national entities the respective technical, economic, and human analyses.

With this emergency, how do you foresee the economic situation of the CDP?

We know about the difficulties we will have due to the economic situation of the National Government, but we are working on that, inventing new processes, trying to optimize resources.

Have protocols been planned for the return to activity?

We have worked on these issues with the methodological technical department. We will have the support of our medical centers for when the athletes return.

What happens with the venues during this time?

We have staff who are pending, we cannot have total maintenance work, in some areas we have basic cleaning. We see what can be done without putting the health of our employees at risk.

How do you expect to resume internal tournaments?

We will have a complete update of the disciplines because we had provincial competitions and selections. That would now serve us to evaluate the athletes before they resume their work. The national limits will be defined by the sport federations, and we will be able to adapt based on that.

What would the return of athletes be like?

It will also depend on the decision of the parents because many will be reluctant to immediately send their children to train since many sports involve close contact. Those things have to be valued based on the reaction we have when resuming activities.

In that case, losing athletes would be a total detriment for provincial and national sports?

That is a difficult scenario and I wouldn't want to speculate, but it's up to Pichincha to expand because we have around 2000 athletes in the 34 disciplines practiced in the province. We were starting a process of massification of sports when the coronavirus surprised us. We hope to see what happens; there is enthusiasm and a desire to resume activity. Hopefully, we can do it normally.

Is a season without being able to resume sports activities due to COVID-19 being considered?

It is a hypothetical situation, but without a doubt, if there are no guarantees, we will not risk the lives of the athletes. That will be at the disposal of the health authorities. Always with the necessary security measures, Concentración will resume working with its athletes on the field. (D)

We are waiting for what the IOC and the Secretariat of Sport determine in order to resume the training plans of our athletes.

Jaime Ruiz, president of CDP