LAHORE: The equine sports activity at the Lahore Racecourse here will continue to remain suspended for another couple of weeks in view of the thrust in the magnitude of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

This was stated by the Lahore Race Club (LRC) steward Mahmood Rafi Khan after a meeting presided over by LRC chairman Makhdum Syed Ahmad Mahmud which reviewed the whole situation regarding the impact of the virus on human life at present.

Talking to Dawn, Mahmood said on Saturday the new pandemic wave has taken everyone by surprise switching life from tranquility of good days drawing to dreadful effects.

The decision for extending the horseracing suspension duration was taken because people from all over the country attend races exposing human life to danger and the government too had prohibited public gathering at one place.

Mahmood said the club management fully realises that LRC, horse-owners, trainers and riders have been hit hard financially. Majority of the owners, trainers and riders solely depend upon races as a source of earning bread.

It is a stark and imperative test of collective will of the all stakeholders expected to live up to the task as they have brave done in the past when the pandemic raised its head in March last year and the sports activity was not held for over four months.

Everyone at the Racecourse is seized with the desire to see return to normalcy and the sports resumed. Although racing is suspended the racing community is brimming with hope and enthusiasm for its resumption and things revert to normalcy. Owners, trainers and riders are engaged in conditioning their horses and attend regularly to morning exercise observing the standard operating procedures (SOPs). The club management is taking all precautionary measures and to keep environmental pollution in check through cleansing operation to create an healthy atmosphere for the security and safety of human as well as animal life in club premises.

Mahmood praised the most striking display of discipline and solidarity of the racing community and prudent compliance of sops and keep environment clean from pollution to avoid hazards to human life and said the LRC chairman and stewards are reviewing the situation weekly to take decision accordingly.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2021