The immediate international future - FIPPA General Secretary Toni Lloret
fippa.org was delighted to get the thoughts of Antoni Lloret (FIPPA General Secretary), who is currently cocooned in Catalonia.
fippa.org (Q.) How are you personally coping with the current lockdown?
Toni Lloret (A.) First of all, I wish all the people who are part of the Pitch and Putt community around the world to be in good health, as well as their families. Here in Barcelona, we have been confined for about 45 days. You are only allowed out on the street for essential things like shopping for food or going to the pharmacy or to the doctor. My 10-year-old son has been cooped-up at home for 45 days and was able to go out to the streets for the first time this week. The vast majority of the population is well aware of the emergency situation and follows the recommendations of governments.
Q. What is the current situation regarding Pitch and Putt in Catalonia?
A. The Pitch and Putt courses are all closed and only maintenance work is permitted. Many courses have had to make staff restructuring plans for the duration of this confinement situation. At Catalan federation level, we are working on a document to predict what the necessary conditions will be when the courses are reopened. We will probably have to change some aspects of the Pitch and Putt game in order to be able to play again and follow the recommendations of the health authorities. The media only talks about the big sports leagues, but the whole of sports and sports facilities will receive a very significant economic shock. At the Catalan level, the sports federations think that a recovery programme, similar to the Marshall Plan, will be needed in our sector.
Q. You introduced a virtual Pitch and Putt competition. How successful was that?
A. On Saturday, April 18, the Catalan Pitch & Putt Federation organized a symbolic charity competition in aid of the clinical trial of treatment for COVID 19 in cancer patients. All the players who registered on the federation's website and confimed their participation, made an aperitif at home and took photos. There was also a raffle, which was streamed live. Everyone at home had an opportunity to win green fee vouchers from many Pitch and Putt courses and also Pitch and Putt merchandise. A total of €7,150 was raised, which is the sum of all online registrations. It has become the most popular Pitch and Putt competition in Catalonia to date with a total of 715 participants.
All contributions will be used to facilitate a clinical trial of treatment for COVID 19 in cancer patients by the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO). Given the fragility of cancer patients, the aim of the trial is to prevent the progression of respiratory failure and therefore reduce the need for admission to the Intensive Care Unit. One of the people in charge of the ICO , Dr. Ramon Salazar, who is also a Pitch and Putt player, took an active part in sending videos for the competition, explaining the project. The ICO tells us that thanks to the contribution from Pitch and Putt, clinical trial will be a reality. This competition has served to unite the Pitch and Putt community in a common goal. We are very happy with the results, which have been far above our initial expectations. The first photo below was judged the best photography received from all the players in the virtual competition. The picture was submitted by Jesús Sabrià.
Q. What do you think are the prospects for any international Pitch and Putt play this year?
A. The world has closed and Pitch and Putt has also closed to prevent the spread of the pandemic. Each association must decide what to do with its scheduled international competitions. It remains to be seen how many competitions can be played normally and when travel between countries is allowed. As long as the safety of the players in terms of health is not guaranteed, we will not be able to organize international competitions.
