Sport will rebound in China but virus exposes flaws

THE coronavirus exposes an ignorance of China’s lucrative sports market and poor contingency planning, experts say, after Formula One became the most high-profile casualty of a mass pullout from the country.

Formula One chiefs are scrambling to fit the Shanghai race into this season’s schedule after the April 19 grand prix last week joined the World Athletics Indoor Championships and European Tour and LPGA golf tournaments in being shelved because of the deadly outbreak.

The Formula E Grand Prix, badminton, skiing and Olympic qualifying events have all been cancelled, postponed or moved elsewhere in recent weeks.

All activity in the country’s two most popular sports – football and basketball – has been suspended, but the obliteration of the sporting calendar is regarded as unavoidable given the circumstances.

The world’s most populous country has become a major sporting destination in the last decade and top clubs and organisations, among them the Premier League, FIFA and NBA, have courted fans – and their money – in the world’s secondlargest economy.

Marcus Luer, founder and chief executive of sports marketing agency TSA (Total Sports Asia), said that it will be business as usual once the virus clears but a lesson has been learnt that extends beyond China.

“This could happen anywhere in the world and federations and organisers need good contingency plans, especially in an Olympic year, where athletes are still qualifying for the Games (Tokyo 2020),” said Luer.

“I think that’s a global learning for major sports organisations to be ready and have a good Plan B in case something like this happens again in the future anywhere in the world.

“Honestly, I don’t think any sport or event had a Plan B in place.” – AFP