Olympics may not get to Japan, let alone the West Rand
My 13-year-old son has soccer practice at his old school on the West Rand every Saturday morning, and I watched him happily playing with his mates without a care in the world this past weekend.
This has been the routine since he was seven years old and he insisted on maintaining the tradition even after leaving that school two years ago.
All the parents at the school grounds on Saturday had a good chuckle when the kids chestbumped and hugged each other like PSL players after scoring goals. It was such fun watching them mimic the goal celebrations made famous by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi each time one of them found the back of the net or pulled off some amazing skill.
But a twinge of sadness swept over me as I watched them enjoying themselves, because I know that this activity we’ve all taken so much for granted for so many years could be complicated by the coronavirus.
This virus has escalated like wildfire around the world in the past few days and panic has spread as there are new cases sprouting every day.
South Africans have not been exempt, and they’ve panicbought masks, gloves, sanitisers and handwash after finding out it can be spread through droplets in a cough and touching something an infected person has touched and then touching their hands to the mouth, nose or eyes.
Given that numerous sporting events are being played behind closed doors, some teams have decided against shaking hands before their games. Paranoia has us all in a cold grip.
I reckon it’s only a matter of time before this thing messes up my son’s Saturday morning routine. He’s been asking me a lot of questions every day during our morning drive to school and while I’m also trying to come to grips with everything around coronavirus, I’ve tried my best to give him as much information as I can.
It has already had a major impact on numerous sporting events around the world. Some have been postponed or even cancelled, and I imagine it will deliver a devastating blow to many others in the coming weeks and months.
For example, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch-lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia will be held without spectators for the first time. While the traditionalists are horrified at the thought of this happening, I reckon they should be more worried by what I suspect is to come later in the year.
I have a sneaky suspicion that the Olympic Games will not get under way in Tokyo on July 24 as planned, and the politicians are just trying to manage a situation that is completely out of their hands.
Japan has invested billions of dollars in the event and if it does not happen this year because of the coronavirus, the consequences could be crippling. The organisers and the politicians have been desperately trying to quell fears that the outbreak will end Japan’s dream of hosting the Olympics. But if you look around, the angst is very real and is certainly not misplaced.
Consider the following events unfolding:
The World Athletics Indoor Championships, scheduled for Nanjing on March 13-15, have been postponed until next year;
Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation have agreed to postpone the Asian World Cup qualifying matches in March and June;
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The Champions League clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday will take place in an empty stadium;
All French top-flight matches will be played in empty stadiums or with a maximum of 1,000 people until April 15;
The Formula One Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai has been postponed; and
The Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead on March 22 without fans.
These are just a fraction of the number of sporting events that have been affected by the virus. Given everything that is happening every day, I reckon it’s only a matter of time before the Olympics are also called off.
But never mind the Olympics, the English Premier League, Formula One or the Six Nations, my immediate concern is on the biggest sporting event in my world and how this virus could affect a Saturday routine we’ve taken for granted until now.
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I RECKON IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS THING MESSES UP MY SON’S SATURDAY MORNING ROUTINE
24th of July is the date the Tokyo Olympic Games are due to start
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