Minister of Sports Amanda Lind and Minister of the Interior Mikael Damberg announced at a press conference on Tuesday that athletes are welcome to compete in Sweden, despite the entry ban.



- We will refer that elite athletes are excluded from the entry association, said Mikael Damberg.



Minister of Sports Amanda Lind:



- All international elite competitions will be able to be held.

Sweden is a country that is recognized as good at arranging competitions, we will also be during the pandemic, Amanda Lind said during the press conference.

- With this message, Sweden can welcome biathletes to World Cup competitions and football players to international matches even with current entry restrictions.

"Sweden has pushed on"

The government announces that there are several exceptions to the entry ban and in many other cases it is clear how they will be applied.

But that there are still no guidelines for how the exceptions should be interpreted when it comes to elite athletes.



- We have had a situation where the EU Member States have done in slightly different ways when it comes to elite athletes.

Then Sweden has pushed for a common interpretation, but it has taken a little long and then we break out this issue, says Mikael Damberg to SVT Sport.



- We see that some member countries make interpretations that elite athletes may come to each country and we want them to do the same to Sweden as well.

"Good chances for Östersund"

Three weeks ago, the news came that there will be no World Cup biathlon competition in Östersund in December.

The reason was that Sweden has not been able to deliver a plan for how all skiers will be able to travel in and out of the country.



- They probably feel a certain confidence also because now there is a planning of the rest of the season's competitions and I know that they would like to stay on and get a competition to Sweden and I think there are good chances for with this message, says Damberg .

Prohibition since March

Since 19 March, Sweden has had an entry association for unnecessary travel from countries other than EU countries, the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

In addition, on the recommendation of the European Council and the Commission, the ban has been extended on several occasions.