The Health Ministry has appointed a six-member committee of experts to recommend
the criteria for holding popular sport events like the Tel Aviv Marathon – that
resulted in injury and death due to the severe heat.
Prof. Danny Moran
will head the committee, which will also include Prof. Naama Constantini, Prof.
Yoram Epstein, Uri Shefer, Yair Karni and Dr. Ruth Borstein.
Ministry
director-general Prof. Ronni Gamzu asked the committee to suggest ways to avoid
harm to people who participate in “extreme” and other sports, such as running
farther than 10 kilometers and what weather conditions would be grounds for the cancellation of planned events.
The Health Ministry last week urged the cancellation of the 42-kilometer Tel Aviv full marathon, and stated that shorter
races end by 8.30 a.m.
Nevertheless, even people who ran earlier and
shorter lengths were affected adversely by the heat.
The success of such
events is determined not only by healthy and serious training on the part of the
participants‚ but also the prevention or reduction of harm to those who have not
prepared themselves by training, yet want to prove their physical
abilities.
The committee was also asked to suggest how many resting posts
should be available along the way for people to cool off, drink water and
receive medical care. The committee will present its conclusions within 90 days.