Bengaluru city clubs set to shut down voluntarily

Days after commencing partial operations, seven major clubs in the city are shutting down for fear of the Covid-19 outbreak among its members. The decision came after three members of a club tested positive for the disease recently.

After the long lockdown, clubs began with bar sales (takeaway only) that were permitted in early May. The sports activities were allowed from the third week. Only members using these facilities were allowed in the clubs and were encouraged to leave soon after their game.

“The trigger to decide on the shut down was the three Covid-19 positive cases that were found at the Karnataka Golf Association recently. The main concern was the fear of spread in the community that is obvious now. Members of clubs are a community by themselves. We felt it prudent to protect our members and staff, and ensure they don’t face the risk of getting infected in the club premises,” said H S Srikanth, President, Federation of Clubs – Karnataka.

The decision follows an informal discussion among the Federation’s members. “It was left to the managements of each club that is a part of the Federation to decide for their respective clubs. So far, seven clubs have decided to close. Among them are Bowring Institute, KSCA, Century Club, Bangalore City Institute, Basavanagudi Club, and Indian Gymkhana Club. Other clubs are holding meetings of their managing committee and are expected to follow suit shortly”, said Srikanth who is also Honorary Secretary, Bowring Institute.

“In light of the spiralling cases, this is a good decision. We don’t know enough about this virus to ensure the complete safety of our members. Just recently we were told it was present in tears too. It is not easy to ensure the entire club is kept sanitised all the time. Members have hailed the decision to shut down till the situation is fully under control”, said S Bhaskar, Vice President, Bowring Institute and member of two other clubs.

Sandeep Sudarshan, a managing committee member of Bowring Institute, said, “We have been taking great care at our sports facilities. With all gyms shut, sports facilities were a boon for members keen on exercising daily. But with the sharp spike in cases over the last few days, we feel it is better to be safe than sorry. The safety and wellbeing of our members is our first priority”.

Whether the state government imposes another lockdown or not, the city’s clubs have decided to play safe for the moment.