Lists

20 Ways Coronavirus Could Impact Major Sports Events

Darren - March 5, 2020

Lists

20 Ways Coronavirus Could Impact Major Sports Events

Darren - March 5, 2020

6. Weili Zhang’s Travel Nightmare

Zhang is the UFC women’s strawweight champion. She’ll fight Polish former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 on March 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada. But the Chinese fighter had an absolute nightmare trying to get into the United States. First of all, she had to flee from Beijing. Authorities planned on shutting the city down so this was a major panic for her.

Then she went to Thailand to continue her training. However, she had to pack up again and move to Abu Dhabi after an outbreak in Bangkok. Finally, she made it to the United States. Zhang says that a phone call from her mother made her realize how lucky she is to have her freedom to leave.

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5. Ireland vs. Italy Canceled

The worst affected country in Europe, Italian sports are in big trouble and rugby is no exception. Their biggest club teams Treviso and Bennetton have suspended their games against British sides. But by far the biggest rugby game impacted so far was Ireland vs. Italy.

Ireland’s Minister for Health decided to suspend the Six Nations’ international because of fears of Italian fans further spreading the disease. With thousands of Italian fans expected to travel to Dublin, Irish authorities decided they couldn’t risk an uncontrolled spread of the virus.

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4. NBA High Fives

It’s very common for NBA players to high-five and shake hands with fans. In fact, because of the contained nature of basketball arenas, it’s easier to get up close and personal with your team. But the coronavirus is having an effect on even this. The NBA has advised players to avoid giving high-fives and autographs.

Players have already started responding to this. The New York Knicks’ Bobby Portis fist-bumped fans instead of giving them high-fives. Meanwhile, Portland’s CJ McCollum has announced he’s taking a break from signing autographs. In sum, it’s something you expect a lot of players will follow quickly.

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3. Banned Fans in MLB/NFL/NBA

Marc Lasry, co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, believes that sporting events in the US will have to ban fans if the coronavirus outbreak worsens. The NBA has already advised players about the importance of handwashing. However, Lasry fears that stadiums will have to shut their doors to fans.

He also believes that baseball is more at risk than basketball simply because their stadiums can hold more supporters. The MLB has set up a coronavirus task force to try and reduce the impact on the league and the season. Let’s hope it works out.

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2. Euro 2020

One of the biggest sports competitions to be at risk from the Coronavirus is Euro 2020, Europe’s biggest international soccer competition. It’s slated to see 24 nations battle it out to be champions of the continent. However, UEFA’s greed makes it more likely that there will be coronavirus-related problems.

For the first time, a single nation won’t host the tournament. Instead, the entire continent will share individual games across 12 countries. So thousands of people will be traveling around Europe unchecked. Where will the first game of the tournament take place? You guessed it: Italy.

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1. Tokyo 2020

Nobody knows yet what the effect will be on the 2020 Olympics in Japan. The biggest sports event on the planet, it could cost Japan $26 billion. Organizers expected the event to attract an estimated 10 million people to Japan. Now the entire tournament is at risk. It’s a nightmare for the Olympic committee.

The organizing committee remains bullish that the Games will go ahead as scheduled. But of course, there will be doubts while the virus continues to spread. Japan’s Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto has said that Japan’s contract with the IOC allows for the rescheduling of the tournament.

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