It is with regret we announce that Youth Team England will not be participating in the 2021 European Youth Championships (EYC) which is due to be held in Tilburg, Netherlands in September.
Team England and the BTBA have been monitoring the situation over several weeks and it was agreed that under the current climate we are living in both here in the UK and especially in Europe the health and safety of our young athletes/coaches and supporters with the uncertainty of COVID-19 was paramount in our decision.
- The logistics of travelling to Tilburg with possible restrictions still in place in September.
- Taking our athletes out of schools/colleges only one week into the new term after the summer break.
- Schools/colleges agreeing to release the athletes after the long period of time off due to COVID-19.
- Possible self-isolation period for our athletes/coaches and supporters on their return from EYC.
- Current very high accommodation costs for supporters due to limited hotel room availability due to COVID-19.
- Short preparation time prior to EYC for our athletes returning to competitive bowling.
This decision was not taken lightly but with the current situation we find ourselves in and all the uncertainty with COVID-19 restrictions in the near future it was the only sensible option we have.
We will now be channelling all our efforts into a structured qualifying criteria for EYC 2022 and 2023 and Youth Triple Crown 2022. More details will follow very shortly.
We look forward to seeing you all back on the lanes in the coming weeks.
Steve Allen
Youth Team England Manager
British Tenpin Bowling Association
steveallen@btba.org.uk
