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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

The Premier Soccer League season is about to kick-off after a year’s freeze and referees will undergo training and fitness tests in Bulawayo this weekend.

Zimbabwe Referees Committee chairman Bryton Malandule said the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) had given them the green light to hold training sessions under strict Covid-19 protocols.

At least 80 Premiership referees will attend a theoretical refresher course at Bulawayo Polytechnic College’s hotel school before wrapping up with fitness tests at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust).

In line with Covid-19 protocols that restrict gatherings to 50, Malandule said centre referees will attend class on Friday and then do a fitness test on Saturday morning, while assistant referees will be in class on Saturday and do their fitness test on Sunday.

“We’re happy and excited that the course has been cleared by the SRC. We’re sticking to Covid-19 protocols that will see the group of referees being divided into two so that we stick to the required 50 or less people. On Friday all participants will undergo Covid-19 PCR tests. Those found positive will not run in Saturday’s fitness test,” said Malandule.

Brighton Mudzamiri is the course instructor and will be assisted by Malandule, who is a Fifa Futuro certified instructor. – @ZililoR