KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 ― Sports and recreational enthusiasts will receive good news in a few days time as the government is expected to allow group activities in indoor facilities.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said official announcement pertaining to the list of permitted and non-permitted sports and recreational activities would be made soon.

"Among the consideration is to permit the opening of indoor sports facilities such as gymnasiums, badminton halls and others.

"Permission for other group sports activities such as football, hockey trainings and ‘non-physical contact’ games is subjected to the official announcement,” he said in a series of tweets today.

He said the permissions were subjected to two to five metres social distancing and no large gatherings regulations, in an effort to contain the spread of Covid-19 infection.

The government, particularly the Health Ministry as well as the National Security Council, had imposed ban on all sports and recreational activities in line with the enforcement of movement control order (MCO) since March 18.

However, following the enforcement of the conditional MCO in early May, the government had allowed outdoor sports and recreational activities but not in large groups for running, cycling, badminton and tennis.

Elite athletes under the "Road to Tokyo” (RTT) programme who are and will be eligible to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games were also given special relaxation to begin their centralised indoor training camp since Monday. ― Bernama