Athletics: Tom Walsh considering spending 2022 season abroad due to MIQ issues

Tom Walsh claimed the bronze medal in the men's shot put at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year. Photo / Photosport

Kiwi shot putter Tom Walsh is eyeing up a season abroad for his 2022 campaign, due to issues with New Zealand's MIQ system.

Walsh is the latest athlete to raise his concerns over how returning to New Zealand is being managed, with sportspeople and businesspeople who need to travel for work all vying for one of less than 4000 rooms with tens of thousands of other Kiwis around the world.

"It shouldn't be this hard to come home to your own country," Walsh told Newstalk ZB.

"It should be available, especially if it's something you do for your job – whether you're a businessman or a sportsperson, or coming home to see someone on their last legs. It shouldn't be this hard to get a spot at MIQ.

"There's every chance I could be away from March to September next year which is a real shame. As long as people can get vaccines and access to vaccines, which it seems like they can, then I think the Government needs to change their tack on especially letting New Zealanders get back into New Zealand."

Walsh has joined in a growing chorus of professionals to voice their concerns over the system. In the past week alone, Kiwi tennis star Michael Venus confirmed he was considering legal action against the Government over the MIQ system, while the UFC stars of Auckland's City Kickboxing gym are discussing relocating to the United States in the coming months if nothing changes with the way the majority of professionals are being let into the country.

Some entities have been granted exemptions, with the All Blacks and Bangladesh and Netherlands cricket teams already guaranteed group MIQ bookings in the coming months, however individuals having to travel for work – be it sporting or otherwise – are left to contend in the lottery.

The Warriors, New Zealand's only NRL team, have had to base themselves in Australia for the last two seasons, and have already committed to playing their 2022 season abroad as well. They were not able to get a group booking for after their 2021 season for players and staff to get home to their families, and those wanting to get home were among the many recently trying to get one of the limited number of spots.

Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins told the Herald the country "had to strike a balance between facilitating travel in and out of New Zealand and preventing Covid-19 from overwhelming our country, as it has many others.

"As vaccination rates continue to climb, we're already working on options for the first quarter of next year to make it easier for fully vaccinated people to travel safely. We will also learn from the pilot we announced on Monday, starting this year, for a small number of fully vaccinated business employees to isolate at approved addresses."