Sports and Corona
It is in an absolute certainty when I state that the coronavirus has affected all our lives rather drastically . One of the spheres it has deeply affected is sports . Sports is not only the games being played in front of us or on our televisions . There are a plethora of emotions swirling around every penalty that has been missed, every basket that has been scored , every wicket that has fallen . It is truly fascinating how a whole nation can be glued till the dying moments of a game , either flipping into ecstasy or staring in disbelief .
And just like how the audience is captivated and moved by the feats of the players , in a similar fashion players on the field are motivated by the cheers of the fans . It is every sportsmen’s dream : to compete in their chosen sport’s highest level , watched by the whole world as they make an attempt to be etched in history . But the epidemic has changed all of that .
Competitive sports by nature involve very close contact both within a game , and around it . Players of opposing teams interact , support staff , stadium staff and the other helpers , to the vast hordes of fans who sit / stand clustered around each other in tightly packed stadiums . Today morning the Copa America finals happened in the Marcana , Brazil , with a measly 7,800 people watching . It accounted for only 10 percent of the seats in the grand stadium . The premier T20 league of the world , the IPL , was played last year behind literal closed doors , while this year’s season was abruptly cut halfway and shifted to UAE , where it will resume in September. Arguably the biggest sporting event , the Olympics , were postponed for over a year, and the heartbreaking part is that the some of the premier events ,such as the 100 meters races may even be done with empty stands .
While these are the makeshift solutions we see , there are other problems brewing. Most noticeably are the players’ mental health . This years’ Tennis Grand Slams have not met with the usual fervour as noted stars have been taking leave from the events for health concerns . Teams which travel a lot , such as the Indian cricket contingent abroad , have been shifting from one bio bubble to another , limiting their movement and their opportunities to practice or even have a peace of mind .
On a more material aspect , hosts and event organisers are losing large portions of their expected revenue as the stadiums remain barren . Their motivation to host events , while maintaining utmost biosecurity protocol , has been noticeably waning . While the world fights a widespread epidemic , let tonight’s Euro Cup Finals remind us why we fall in love with the spectacle of sports time and time again . Stay safe .