Coronavirus Throws Major Sporting Events In Jeopardy - Olympics, IPL, Champions League All At Risk

As coronavirus pandemic brings world to a standstill, the affect has been felt far and wide. The health emergencies in various countries has put the sports landscape slowly but inexorably in dark.

In last few days, league after league, organisation after organisation, came to the unavoidable conclusion that the continued staging of sports events would be an irresponsible health risk in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, what is now officially termed a pandemic.

Let us look at how coronavirus has/will affect sports events.

1. IPL on for now, but no fans

The IPL will have to be played behind closed doors if the BCCI wants to go ahead with the tournament as per schedule. Following the sports ministry¡¯s advisory issued on Thursday, this is the best the BCCI can hope for, as the government has banned public gathering ¡°in any sporting event¡± to combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

IPL

The IPL governing council meeting on Saturday will take a call on the future of this year¡¯s tournament. The franchises want the IPL to go ahead, empty stands notwithstanding, while admitting that public health is paramount.

2. Olympics at threat of being postponed or cancelled

The fate of the 2020 Games, scheduled to open in Tokyo on July 24, has been thrown into doubt by the outbreak of the virus, now dubbed a pandemic.

Japanese organisers have so far insisted that the pandemic will not derail the Games scheduled to run from July 24 to August 8, even if major sporting events, travel and financial markets are already seeing massive disruption worldwide.

Japan has spent an estimated $26 billion to ready Tokyo and cancellation could knock about 1.4% from GDP, Nikko Securities Inc. Chief Economist Junichi Makino wrote in a research note. A large part of the economic stimulus may have already been delivered by the massive infrastructure spending laid out to get Tokyo ready for the Games.

It is a tricky spot and there is no definite solution at the moment. Not having Games will have a catastrophic impact on Japan's economy, but having it on schedule might not be possible given the circumstances.

Japan would be hoping the virus evaporates soon, for the Tokyo Olympics to go as planned.

3. UEFA Champions League Games Postponed

The Champions League match between Manchester City and Real Madrid has been postponed after the Spanish team puts its players in quarantine amid the coronavirus outbreak.

AP

Madrid has ordered its soccer and basketball teams to remain in isolation after one of the basketball players tested positive for the virus.

No new date for the second-leg match in the last 16 was announced. City leads 2-1 from the first leg in Madrid.

4. Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta tests positive for coronavirus

English Premier League side Arsenal's head coach Mikel Arteta tested positive for the viral bug yesterday.

It has forced the the London based club to put the entire first team in self-isolation and for its Premier League match against Brighton at the weekend to be postponed.

Reuters

Arsenal said the first-team squad, coaching staff and academy members were in quarantine in line with government health guidelines after coming in close contact with Arteta, who received a positive test for COVID-19 on Thursday evening

5. UEFA to take call on Euros

UEFA has called European soccer stakeholders to a meeting by video conference on Tuesday to deal with the effect on competitions of the coronavirus outbreak.

UEFA says they will discuss "all domestic and European competitions." That includes this year's European Championship. The meetings will involve UEFA member federations and representatives of clubs, national leagues and player unions.

UEFA.com

There is no blanket suspension of soccer across the continent, but national leagues have been shut down by public authorities in some countries, including Italy and Spain.

6. Real Madrid football club in quarantine

Real Madrid has said its football and basketball teams have been put in quarantine after a basketball play for the club tested positive for the coronavirus.

AFP

The Spanish club says the soccer team was also affected because it shares training facilities with the basketball team.

7. NBA suspend season amid coronavirus outbreak

The NBA has suspended the season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for coronavirus. The result came just before Utah's game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

NBA

The player was not at the arena and was undergoing treatment, the league said.

"The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight's schedule of games until further notice," the league said as per a AFP report.