Cancellation of sports club memberships during quarantine: incorrect information

  • 2020-06-08
  • 12

Akeed - Aya al-Khwaldeh - Pages on social media platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp, and Twitter have circulated claims regarding sports clubs’ cancellation of memberships during the closures necessitated by the coronavirus, which Akeed found to be inaccurate information. 

Akeed followed up on a request for verification from one of the pages’ followers, and figured out the claims were connected to a committee set up amid the pandemic-related closures by a group of sports clubs that specialize in bodybuilding. The aim of the “Committee for the Association of Owners of Bodybuilding Centers and Clubs” has been to find effective strategies for dealing with the economic impact that closure and reopening will have on the sector. 

Akeed found that although the government had announced the reopening of the sports club sector, a spokesperson for the Association, Amro Jalajel, posted on his Facebook page that the Committee had decided to not reimburse memberships active after March 15th. He stated that the Association, which includes between 170 and 200 sports clubs, had resorted to this policy to ensure the stability of the clubs and prevent their permanent closure.

Jalajel clarified that this decision only applied to clubs within the Association and not those outside of it, and was due to the significant financial costs that they had to bear, such as rent allowance, electricity and water bills, and employee wages.

According to Jalajel, this policy applies to all members except those paying for a personal trainer, as they will be reimbursed due to the high cost of their membership plans.   

As for the role of the Jordanian Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness, Akeed spoke to Ahmed al-Hurub, the federation’s vice-president, who emphasized that the federation plays no role in the relationship between clubs and their members. The issue of membership renewal, suspension, or compensation, is an internal issue that concerns the member and the sports club alone, he added.

Al-Hurub made clear that the federation represents the primary authority in licensing and regulation. For example, it oversees the licensing of sports clubs according to their compliance with the requirements for opening, like location and the presence of a licensed trainer, and health requirements inside the club facility. The federation does not possess any judicial authority or capacity to arbitrate, according to al-Hurub.  

The federation's vice-president added: “If the federation learns of any violations committed by sports clubs, it sends an official notice to the Jordan Olympic Committee, which then refers it to the relevant legal bodies for consideration".

Akeed contacted the Jordan Olympic Committee to inquire about its role in such cases, and whether it has the executive power to prohibit sports clubs from cancelling memberships. The committee referred this inquiry to its legal experts who asserted that the relationship between club and member is a contractual one between two parties: in the event that one party violates the provisions of the contract, the aggrieved party is to appeal to the judgement of the relevant legal authority.a