ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — For the second year in a row, Softball Newfoundland and Labrador has decided to opt-out of playing host to the Canadian senior men’s and masters, and under-19 men’s fastpitch championships.
The men’s and masters tournaments were set for Sept. 1-5 in St. John’s, and Carbonear was set to play host to the U19 Canadian championship Aug. 3-8.
Just as COVID-19 caused the shelving of last summer’s tournaments, the pandemic has been cited as the reason for the postponement of the latest pair of tournaments.
Just as Softball Newfoundland and Labrador was all but assured last summer it could stage the three tournaments this year, “it’s my understanding that we are the first choice if we want to host (the men’s and masters, and U19 tournaments) next year,” said Softball NL executive director Dave Feener.
According to a news release issued by Softball NL, its board of directors, “collectively acknowledged, agreed with and supported the decisions because health and safety is paramount.
“It was agreed that with the introduction of the new variant of COVID-19, there are too many unknown factors at this stage.
“Further to that, there are too many questions surrounding insufficient vaccinations across Canada, delays in vaccine availability, and a high number of COVID-19 cases from provinces which usually attend these fastpitch vents, requiring a 14-day isolation for those coming in from out of province.
Feener pointed out the senior men’s championship is one of the most expensive tournaments on which to bid, coming with a $25,000 price tag. The senior men’s nationals has usually been a money-maker for Softball NL, but things have changed now.
“We couldn’t take the chance this year. We certainly can’t go to sponsors now,” Feener said.
