COVID-19 puts sport in brackets
By Guillaume Mahot
The Coronavirus disease has become a worldwide issue with 168 countries hit by the virus (the United Nations are officially recognizing 198 countries in the world), which means that practically the whole planet is concerned. According to the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE), more than 430 000 cases have been confirmed so far, for a sullen total of about 19 000 deaths, but fortunately, more than 111 000 people who recovered. China (more than 80 000 cases), Italy (more than 69 000 cases) and the United States (more than 55 000 cases) are the most hit countries, followed by Spain, Germany, Iran and France.
Africa is the continent which has been the least hit by the disease, but some cases started to appear (Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast…), mainly because of tourists and travelers who came back home and thus brought back the disease in the country. Like in the Western countries, some strict and important measures towards the population were implemented by the African governments so as to limit the propagation of the pandemic.
In this exceptional (and worrying) world context, what is the place of sport? Sport unfortunately makes no exception, and sportsmen, sportswomen and athletes have no choice but to stay at home and adapt their training before the different leagues take back their rights. Not always easy to run or do some exercise in an apartment, or within one hour outside and all alone, but again, choice is not a possibility. As a consequence, most sport competitions were compelled to have a break.
Football, the most popular sport in the world, is in standby. The Champions’ League has been suspended, just like all national leagues all over the world. The Copa America and Euro will be played in 2021. In basketball too, games will be stopped, especially in NBA, where people wonder how the remaining games will be put in the impossible calendar of the US league (playoffs were supposed to be played in mid-April). Athletics, tennis, rugby, Formula One, biking, Olympic Games, everything is being cancelled and postponed. Let us fight this disease properly.
Africa Global News Publication
