Covid-19 in sports: The writing is on the wall
Though it’s always advisable to remain positive, it’s also as important to remain realistic.
Many people, including this writer, would love to think that the world, the sporting world in this instance, will just resume as if nothing happened post lockdown.
But days would’ve been lost and it’s highly unlikely that the lockdown would’ve made the Covid-19 situation significantly better, if any better at all in just 21 days.
By the time this piece was written, there was exactly eight days remaining until the initial end to the lockdown, but with the virus continuing to spread, chances are the government will be left with no choice but to extend the lockdown period.
This will all but kill all hopes of local and national sports continuing or returning for 2020.
When this piece was written, there was approximately 1 700 cases reported in the country, how that would’ve suddenly dropped or slowed down by April 16, is highly unlikely.
The optimists will see this as just a disturbance to the flow of business on and off the pitch of the sporting world.
But simply put, the sporting season for the year 2020, which will undoubtedly be remembered for all the wrong reasons for a very long time in the future, even at this early stage of it (it’s only still April), has been ruined.
Should we see any sport at all of what remains of 2020, adjustments, which will undoubtedly make life uncomfortable for others, will be made in an attempt to make up for the time lost.
One such obvious adjustment is respective sporting seasons being cut short.
Belgium was the first top-tier European football league to cancel the rest of the season due to the coronavirus, crowning Club Brugge KV, which features Bafana Bafana forward Percy Tau within its ranks, champions.
Should the South African top-tier football league follow suit, a lot will feel hard done by Mamelodi Sundowns, for one who are just four points behind Kaizer Chiefs, who are leading the league, with eight games remaining.
But as things stand, a lockdown extension is more likely and that will force many hands in the world of sport. – @SabeloBoksburg
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