KERALA: When the first positive case of coronavirus infection was reported in Wuhan, China in late 2019, no medical expert in the world thought that this infectious disease will emerge as a global pandemic. And now, when the second wave of Covid2019 is wreaking havoc in several countries like India, difficult decisions have been made even in the world of sports. Several major sporting events have been cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic, and the recent addition to this list is the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.
Indiantelevision.com presents to you a list of five major sporting events that were called off or rescheduled due to Coronavirus scare.
Indian Premier League 2021
It was on 9 April that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 began in an empty gallery without any spectators. The decision to host the tournament had been met with criticism from certain corners, as it came at a time when India is battling the second wave of Covid.
However, the ongoing season of the IPL was postponed less than a month after its grand opening due to the bio-secure bubble being invaded by the coronavirus. Within the last few days, two players of Kolkata Knight Riders, two Chennai Super Kings coaches and one player each from Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals tested Covid positive.
"The Indian Premier League Governing Council and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in an emergency meeting has unanimously decided to postpone IPL 2021 season, with immediate effect. The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff, and the other participants involved in organising the IPL. This decision was taken keeping the safety, health, and well-being of all the stakeholders in mind," said the BCCI, after suspending the ongoing event.
BCCI also added that the league will be rescheduled to another date this year. However, it is still unclear whether the event will be played in India or another country. Last year, due to the raging pandemic, the IPL took place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) September onwards.
Tokyo Olympics 2020
The 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics were scheduled to take place in Tokyo, beginning 24 July 2020. However, due to the Covid2019 outbreak, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was compelled to postpone the event. The decision to call off the feted event for a year was made when countries like Canada, Australia, and Great Britain announced that they would withdraw from the Olympics unless the event was postponed.
According to the latest updates, the IOC plans to host the opening ceremony on 23 July 2021. On 20 March, citing travel restrictions and the safety of athletes, it was announced that there will be no spectators for the upcoming Olympics. However, it is still unclear whether the event will actually take place, considering the second wave of the virus currently holding sway in several countries.
UEFA Euro 2020 and dilemma surrounding Copa America
The UEFA Euro 2020 championship was originally scheduled to take place from 12 June to 12 July 2020. However, the pandemic turned things upside down, and the tournament was rescheduled to take place a year later, from 11 June to 11 July 2021.
The South American Football Federation’s well-laid plans to host the Copa America 2020 from 12 June to 12 July 2020 were also dashed because of Covid, and the organisers were forced to postpone it to 2021.
Copa America will now take place in Colombia and Argentina from 13 June to 10 July 2021. However, several industry experts believe that the tournament may not go as per plans, especially considering the rapid surge of Covid cases in countries like Brazil.
Hero I-league 2020-2021
When it comes to football in India, the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021 matches were conducted in an empty stadium in Goa.
However, organisers were compelled to postpone the I-League midway with 23 matches left. They had no choice but to declare Mohun Bagan as the champions of the season, as the second-placed team could not catch up even if all 20 games were played.
Wimbledon 2020
One of the Tennis Grand Slams, Wimbledon 2020 was also postponed due to the coronavirus scare. This was the first time the championship, held every year in England, was deferred since World War II. As the 2020 tournament did not go as per plans, organisers have decided to host the tournament from 28 June to 11 July 2021.
