The Coronavirus has turned out to be the most severe global pandemic of the 21st century. With already more than 5 million people infected and well above 300,000 dead, the virus is wreaking havoc worldwide. The world of sports has also been deeply impacted. Almost all the global sports events have either been postponed or canceled due to this outbreak. We bring to you the 10 famous sports competitions which have suffered Corona-Virus impact.
Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
The highly awaited Summer Olympics were scheduled to take place in Tokyo this year. They have now been shifted to July 2021. The International Olympic Committee made the decision after it became clear that the Corona-virus was not going to be controlled easily and rapidly. The Olympics are a global sports event held once in 4 years.
Earlier the Japanese authorities and the International Olympic Committee explored all the possibilities of hold this global event on time. Experts are now suggesting that without a vaccine it would be very difficult for the Olympics to be conducted even in 2021.
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Corona-Virus Impact on IPL
The IPL is another famous sports event to bear the Corona-Virus impact. It was originally scheduled to begin from March 29 but has been pushed back indefinitely for now. There are chances that the 2020 edition could be called off or maybe played behind closed doors. The BCCI is yet to come to a concrete conclusion.
Tentatively new possibilities of hosting this mega Cricket event are being explored around the months of September to November. Many other European county league matches as well as International tours and series were either postponed of cancelled due to the Corona-Virus impacted restrictions.
Tennis Season 2020
Tennis is another sport which has been put on a halt due to Corona-Virus impact. Wimbledon which is the most prestigious tennis tournament has been called off for this year. The All England Lawn Tennis Club announced the cancellation of the tournament on April 1. Other tennis events like the Sunshine Double and European Clay Court Swing have also been canceled due to the Corona-virus impact.
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The French Open has been pushed back to September. The French Tennis Federation and United States Tennis Association are exploring the possibilities of holding their respective Grand Slam in closed doors and without in-stadium spectators.
Football/US Soccer
The United States Major Soccer League which is the top tier in the country has been indefinitely postponed. Even the African Champions League semi-finals and finals have been advanced indefinitely due to Corona-Virus Impact. The European football league tournaments, the Euro Cup and the Copa America in South America are also unlikely to be played in 2020.
The Corona-virus has thus been very hard for soccer fans and players. Football teams in Europe are returning to practice but with utmost care like prior testing, regular disinfectant use, and the regular wearing of face masks.
Corona-Virus Impact on NBA
The National Basketball Association in the United States has also canceled its 2020 regular season. This happened after the famous basketball player Utah Jazz was tested positive of the Coronavirus. The NBA initially considered holding the events closed doors without media and fans. This however didn’t work out. The Basketball season thus seems to be heavily under Corona-Virus impact.
Athletics
The World Athletic Championship was scheduled to be held in the United States in July 2021. It has however now been pushed back to 2022. The traditional Berlin athletics are all set to be canceled. The World Athletics Indoor Championship which was scheduled in March this year has been rescheduled to next year. All these events were a casualty of the Corona-Virus Impact.
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Marathons
The London Marathon was scheduled to be held in April this year. It has been postponed to October but seems unlikely to take place even at that time. The Boston Marathon is another high profile event that has fallen prey to Corona-Virus impact. It has been postponed to mid-September.
The same holds true for Paris and Barcelona marathons. Even the Tokyo Marathon that draws more than 300,000 participants every year was impacted. This year it was restricted to just 200 elite runners.
Formula One
The Formula One has canceled the Australian Grand Prix, indefinitely postponed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as well as the Bahrain and Vietnam Grand Prix. The 2020 world championship calendar has now been kept on indefinite hold. The racing championships are not set to return until everyone associated gets tested. Also it is unlikely that the formula one races will be contested in front of fans. Authorities are chalking out strategies for isolated environment races.
Boxing
The world heavyweight boxing title-deciding fight was scheduled on 20th June. It has now been postponed until further notice due to COVID19. The European and American qualifying boxing tournaments have also been postponed. The World Boxing Association is also mulling the strategies of return to the ring. The fights could be held without fans in the stadiums and referees judging from home. The dates however still remain largely uncertain.
Racing and Cycling
The Indianapolis 500 has been postponed from May to August. This has happened for the first time since 1946. The French Moto-GP has also been indefinitely postponed as the Corona-virus has caused more than 20,000 deaths in the country. The Tour de France has also been moved from June to September.
It indeed is the gloomy scenario for the world of sports. These sensible decisions will however same many precious lives and contain the virus spread. Athletes from all sporting communities are coming together with huge donations for medical equipment, test kits, and clinical research funding. This gives some hope amidst adversity as humanity comes together to fight a common enemy.
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— SportsCrunch (@SportsCrunch) May 18, 2020