All scheduled sports events are affected by cancellations or postponements due to the official classification of coronavirus as a pandemic. Various upcoming sports seasons and events are being affected. Here is an overview of the impact of the coronavirus on the sports world.
Concerns have been raised by the organizers of the 2020 Summer Olympics regarding the outbreak and its effect on the host country, Japan. While a final decision is pending until May, discussions are ongoing to address the situation, with crisis talks scheduled between the International Olympic Committee, athletes, and sports federations.
Soccer is also feeling the impact of the pandemic with Major League Soccer (MLS) suspending games for a 30-day period. Soccer leagues such as Europa, Champions, and Premier League have all been affected with game suspensions in place.
Major League Baseball (MLB) has pushed back the start of the 2020 season to May, according to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s announcement on March 16. MLB had earlier decided to suspend operations and spring training, with some spring training sites in Florida and Arizona remaining operational.
Golf tournaments initially aimed to proceed with the PGA Tour during the Players Championship on March 13. However, limitations were imposed on crowd attendance for subsequent tournaments. Following the cancellation of the Players Championship after the first round, the 2020 Masters tournament has also been postponed.
