The situation that occurred with the cancellation, postponement and problems of international sporting events last year is now repeating itself. The peak in 2020 was that the three main competitions on the calendar – Tokyo Olympic Games 2020, Euro Cup and Copa America Football – were not played. Now, with the increase in the number of cases and deaths by Kovid-19, many tournaments are already being postponed.
The epidemic caused a lot of damage to the game last year and it is already starting in 2021, causing trouble in many incidents. First, the Olympics have been maintained in Tokyo, as well as in two major continental football competitions such as the Euro and the Copa America. But the 2020 scenario began to be repeated in many ways. See the main changes so far:
formula 1
The session will begin in Australia on March 21, but the organization said testing in that country and China (initially scheduled for April 11) will be postponed due to restrictions both nations are placing on travelers. First, the calendar is maintained, but last year, 22 GPs were initially planned, with only 17 held.
SURFE
The WSL (World Surfing League, abbreviated in English) canceled the stage of the Sunset in Hawaii, which would be disputed between 19 and 28 of this month. The stage was also scheduled from February 2 to 12 in Santa Cruz, California, due to an increase in Kovid-19 cases in the US state and the difficulty of international surfers traveling.
Football
In England, where the epidemic is very strong, many matches in the English Premier League and FA Cup have been suspended. Despite the worrisome situation on the continent, UEFA does not currently consider changing the euro date set for June 11 to July 11.
Basketball
The world’s leading league is suffering from the closure of NBA team training centers and rescheduling of regular season matches starting in December. On the other hand, the ice hockey NHL adopted shorter time and geographically reorganized divisions to deal with the rapid development of the epidemic in the United States.
Sneakers
The Australian Open is expected to be confirmed from 8 to 21 February, following several events scheduled to be canceled in 2020. The organization adopted a strict protocol to execute the Grand Slam. Participating tennis players must arrive in the country in advance and perform a mandatory 14-day quarantine in Melbourne.
Handball
The men’s World Cup is being played in Egypt and teams are in a “bubble” to try to avoid contamination. Due to the measures adopted, teams can only leave hotels for training and sports to avoid the risk of contagion. Nevertheless, several cases of Kovid-19 have been detected among athletes and coaching staff.
