Director of Hockey Quebec, Jocelyn Thibault did not hide his joy following the relaxation of health measures announced by the provincial government on Tuesday afternoon, especially with regard to the resumption of sports matches set for next Monday.
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The former National Hockey League goaltender had made a strong plea a few days earlier for a return to action. On January 21, he implored Quebec and the authorities responsible to present a game plan on this subject and his cry from the heart seems to have been heard.
“Of course we are very happy. We thank the government and Public Health for listening to the sports community. We’ve been quite vocal in the last few weeks, […] but we felt that the young people were struggling. They have gone through a lot of obstacles over the past two years. This is really great news. There was the return of training 7-10 days ago and there will be the resumption of matches and tournaments”, he rejoiced in an interview with the LCN channel.
Now, like many people, Thibault is crossing his fingers not to have to relive a step back in terms of constraints.
“We hope not. I guess that with what has been announced, there must be some comfort at this level, he said, in relation to the number of hospitalizations that Mr. Legault and his team are ready to accept. I do not want to assume the intentions behind the decisions, but at the federation, we will certainly be cautious and very demanding with regard to the measures in place. We will do everything not to contribute to another wave of cases or to a situation that could degenerate.
“We are going to play”
The story is obviously the same on the side of the SPORTSQUÉBEC group, which had given its support to the movement “We want to play” by demanding the deconfinement of competitive sport. With enthusiasm, he expressed his relief, recalling that the associations, leagues and teams concerned will now be able to plan the resumption of their normal activities. It is now the words “We are going to play” that will be heard within sports clubs.
“We are very pleased with today’s announcement [mardi] made by the Legault government. SPORTSQUÉBEC asked for a concrete timetable for the return of training, games and competition, it is now done. It is a great weight that is lifted from the shoulders of athletes, parents and the sports community who can look forward with optimism, “said Julie Gosselin, president of SPORTSQUÉBEC, in a press release.
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Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com