Provisional plan approved to complete the men's league

The board of the UAE Basketball Association has announced that at its 40th session, held remotely on 6 May, it approved a provisional plan for the return of activity and the completion of the men's general league.

The provisional plan includes a proposal for individual training to resume remotely from 5 to 19 June 2020, followed by two weeks of group work in threes and fours from 20 June to 3 July 2020.

Under the proposed plan, four weeks are set aside for full team training from 4 to 28 July 2020, within which the final date for confirming the return of activity falls on 19 July 2020, subject to an improvement in the health situation as assessed by the competent authorities.

The provisional plan also includes: completing the preparation period with a warm-up tournament or friendly matches from 3 to 8 August 2020; the return of official activity after completing the best-of-three quarter-final series, 14 to 18 August 2020; a single round-robin semi-final stage for the four qualifying teams, with each side playing one match at the weekend, taking the players' professional commitments into account, on 21 and 28 August and 4 September 2020; and the final and placing matches on 11 September 2020, with all final and semi-final matches to be played at a neutral venue, the Salah Al Din hall, so that preventive and precautionary measures can be assured.

Before approving the provisional plan the federation reviewed the minutes of the coordination meetings held with the supervisors and coaches of the clubs' men's teams on 4 and 5 May 2020.

The federation had previously decided, in circular 89 of 22 March 2020 concerning the 2019/20 season, to suspend and carry over the remaining men's general league matches to the start of the following season.

The federation also announced that it would act on FIBA circular 28 of 8 May 2020 concerning the formation of a medical advisory committee at FIBA, which is preparing a set of guidelines and recommendations for national federations on the return of activity and the tools to limit the spread of risk, to be circulated within the coming week.

The federation further confirmed its full commitment to the government precautionary measures issued by the Supreme Committee for Crisis and Disaster Management and by the relevant government bodies, each within its own remit.