It is no news that the world is currently in a battle against the COVID-19 virus and as the saying goes; drastic times call for drastic measures. To this effect, avoidance of human contact is advised as it is one of the measures that have proved effective in managing the pandemic. Thus, pausing major activities and postponing sporting events scheduled for the year 2020 became necessary. Here is a list of the competitions suspended due to coronavirus.
Competitions Suspended Due To Coronavirus
Olympics Games
For the first time since the World Wars I and II the Olympic games will be shifted to the following summer. Although coronavirus was already shutting down activities in most countries in early March, it was reported that the organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics planned on going ahead with the tournament in July when the games were meant to officially kick-off.
Unfortunately, due to the increased deaths and COVID-19 index cases worldwide which also affected athletes, the committee after a conference call meeting with the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, Japan Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee Mori Yoshiro, and other key members, decided to suspend the event.
In a joint statement released on March 24, it was revealed the Olympics 2020 has been postponed and will now take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021.
Football Leagues Across The Globe
Amidst the coronavirus pandemic in early March, some football leagues were still ongoing even though some of its players were testing positive to COVID-19. For instance, in Italy where the likes of Blaise Matuidi, Rugani, and a few other players tested positive, matches in the Italian Serie A went on for some time before its eventual halt.
In no time, the English Premier League (EPL), German Bundesliga, Spanish La Liga, Turkish Süper Lig, the Russian Premier League, and many other top-flight leagues where there were initially pockets of disagreements on suspending games, were later all suspended but at different times.
Across the globe, practically all the football leagues pending games are part of the competitions suspended due to coronavirus. Take a look at the Full List Of Soccer Stars Who Have Tested Positive For Coronavirus.
NBA and WNBA
It did not take long for basketball to be affected by the pandemic. As one of the most followed sports worldwide, the National Basketball Association (NBA) had to put stringent measures in place and halt its ongoing season when a Utah Jazz player became the latest athlete to test positive for the virus.
Also, its sister league the Women National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced that the start of the 2020 regular season has been postponed pending when the whole situation returns to normalcy. Of course, this was done to protects its athletes and fans from harm. With that, the NBA and WNBA joined the list of sporting competitions suspended due to coronavirus.
You can take a look at NBA Stars Who Have Tested Positive For Coronavirus.
Formula 1
Due to the rising case of people testing positive for the virus, several formula 1 races billed for the year 2020 has been canceled and some postponed. For instance, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix tournament which was supposed to commence in March has been postponed to June if the pandemic does not persist. Also, the Australian GP season has been canceled after a McLaren driver tested positive to COVID-19. Amongst other Formula 1 races postponed are The Bahrain Grand Prix, The Vietnam Grand Prix, and The Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai; they were all originally scheduled to kickoff between March and April.
The NFL, NHL, and MLB
The National Football League’s (NFL) training camps were meant to open in July with the regular season slated to start in September. Because of this, there is no point in suspending the league. However, the pandemic has still affected the league as it was reported that many NFL teams suspended their pro day travel Thursday and Friday due to the virus. Unlike the NFL, the National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) are among the competitions suspended due to coronavirus.
In a statement that announced the decision to suspend its 2019-2020 regular season, NHL commissioner Gray Bettman promised that the league would resume once it’s “appropriate and prudent” to do so. MLB issued a similar statement to disclose its decision to suspend Spring Training games and delay the start of the 2020 regular season by at least two weeks.
Statement from Major League Baseball: pic.twitter.com/0bWS5VTRPu
— MLB (@MLB) March 12, 2020
Golf
Many events in the club-and-ball sport have been postponed due to the coronavirus. Such events like the first women’s professional golf tournament which was supposed to hold in Saudi Arabia has been rescheduled to October. Also, the Augusta National Golf Club has revealed that the 2020 Masters tournament billed to kick off in the summer has been shifted to November.
Cycling
While Tour de France has been postponed to August from its initial June 27 date, it is still uncertain if the three weeks tournament will hold as there is no cure for the virus yet. Also, with the daily reported cases of the virus, it is hard to tell if the pandemic will come to an end anytime soon. Whichever way, cycling has joined the sporting competitions suspended due to coronavirus.
See Also: How Much Pay Cut Did These Football Managers Take Due To Coronavirus?
Rugby
Arguably the most aggressive sports in the world, the postponement of rugby games in France came after a Scottish player who had featured in a women rugby game against France’s team, tested positive for the virus. To curb the spread, the French Rugby Federation postponed matches indefinitely as those who had come in contact with the Scottish player were quarantined.
Boxing
Unfortunately, due to the severity of the coronavirus, we won’t be seeing actions in the rings for some time. In line with the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, boxing qualifiers match between Asia and Oceania were moved to Jordan from China. Also, the high profile match between Nigerian-born British Heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev of Bulgaria has been rescheduled to take place towards the end of the year as against the originally fixed date of June 20.
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