Governments across the planet are pushing all their resources to fighting Coronavirus, a viral disease that has so far claimed more than 3,800 patients. Well, with several shutdowns, sports have been affected at large. COVID-19 is believed to have infected more than 100,000 people, among them being prominent sports athletes. People have just witnessed Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta, testing positive for the virus, leading to the postponement of the much anticipated Brighton vs. Arsenal match. Well, at least event turnouts are not that much devastating for poker, and casino lovers as online games in platforms like QQPoker remain unaffected.
So, should we expect complete shutdowns in major leagues across the US, Asia, and Europe? Here are some instances of how the virus is affecting sports:
- Football
It seems like the virus has significantly impacted football sports. Premier League has so far called a meeting with team managers to discuss a way forward after pushing several games to unconfirmed dates. Also, the Chelsea Fc training facility will undergo partial closure after Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive. The rest of the male management team is also in self-isolation, with Everton following suit. The Asian World Cup qualifiers matches that are to take place in March and June are also likely to be casualties of this after FIFA, and the Asian Football Confederation agreed to consider suspension. Well, could this mean there will be no more Premier League and Asian actions for sports betting? Fortunately, the virus does not affect online casino games. So, maybe poker could just suffice for now in platforms like QQPoker.
- Olympics
There was a scheduled torch-lighting ceremony in Greece for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but that one will not happen because of Coronavirus. However, there hasn’t been official communication about a possible suspension of the Olympics games.
- Formula one
A McLaren team member has tested positive for Coronavirus, which has led to the cancellation of the Australian GP season-opening race. It is a major blow because Formula one fans had waited for the race, scheduled for March 15th with much anticipation. In China, the Chinese Grand Prix, which was scheduled for April 19th in Shanghai, has also been postponed to an unconfirmed date. The fans of Formula one in Bahrain have not been spared either as the second Formula 1 race in Manama will not take place on March 22nd as scheduled.
- Rugby
So far, there are at least six-nation matches that have been postponed in Rugby due to the outbreak in more than 100 countries. There are recent developments in East Africa. Moreover, in April, people were expecting to witness Hong Kong and Singapore World Rugby Sevens Series, but unfortunately, it won’t happen. The above series have just been pushed up to sometime in October when the organizers can be sure of its certainty about Coronavirus. A Scottish female rugby player also tested positive, which led to the cancellation of their match against France.
It seems like the virus is spreading so much. People are all hoping that researchers come up with the vaccine as soon as possible so that we can resume business as usual. Many football fans can’t wait to see Arsenal and Chelsea back in action! So far, there are no possible considerations of suspending the 2020 Olympics. Let’s hope the situation doesn’t escalate.
