The COVID-19 epidemic has so far killed more than 1 million people worldwide and the number of causalities is increasing daily. It has affected every aspect of life around the world. Sports contribute significantly to economic and social development. Its role is well known in Government, including the Political Declaration of the 2030 Agenda[1], which reflects “the contribution made by sport to the empowerment of women and young people, people and communities, as well as health, education and social inclusion”.
To protect the lives of athletes and other stakeholders, major international, national, and regional sporting events have been canceled or postponed. This article focuses on the effect on sports due to the COVID epidemic and how we can regulate sports amidst virus with caution. It also focuses on various national and international tournaments that have been postponed or suspended due to the epidemic.
Introduction
In light of COVID-19 major sporting events and tournaments have been canceled. A high level of communication between participants and spectators means that sporting events can increase the risk of spreading coronavirus. Government sports federations, governing bodies and leagues have therefore made difficult but necessary decisions to close or restrict sports and community activities. This means that people have fewer opportunities to exercise and enjoy the communication game offered. Many who work in the field have lost their livelihood.
Sports Affected Around The World
One of the most important events to take place was in Japan this summer, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced the postponement of the much-anticipated Tokyo Olympics in 2020, in preparation for the 2021 year. The 133rd edition of the Wimbledon Championship has been canceled, while ATP and WTA’s 2020 tour is permanently suspended, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has postponed its Euro 2020 next year, all Union Cyclist International events (UCI) and Formula 1 have been canceled. Cracks have begun to show in the industry with the football team MSK Zilina and USA Rugby (USA rugby governing body) who are causing a rift. The virus has profound effects on all activities including sports.
Effects Of COVID-19
The global outbreak of COVID-19 has led to the closure of gyms, stadiums, pools, dance and gymnasiums, physiotherapy centers, parks and playgrounds. Many people are therefore unable to participate in their normal individual or group sports or physical activities outside of their homes. Under such conditions, many tend to be malnourished, have more screen time, abnormal sleep patterns and worse diet, leading to weight gain and weight loss. Low-income families are at greater risk for the negative consequences of living by domestic laws as they tend to have lower living spaces and much closed spaces, making it difficult to exercise.
Risks Of Coronavirus Transmission
• Closed communication between players and staff
Games that require constant interaction between players can make it more difficult to maintain social distance, compared to sports where players are not close. With very close sports (e.g., wrestling, basketball), play can be changed to securely increase the distance between players.
For example, players and coaches can:
- focus on individual capacity building and competition;
- reduce the amount of time players spend close to each other by playing contacts only during game time situations;
- reduce the number of competitions during the season.
Coaches can also change habits so that players work with individual skills, not in competition. Coaches can also include players in small groups (groups) that sit together and work in channels, rather than switching teams or mixing teams.
• Touching sports equipment
It is also possible for a person to get COVID-19 by touching the surface or object with the virus, and then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes. Reduce equipment allocation, and clean and disinfect shared equipment between different uses to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
• Athletes, coaches or staff with weakened immune systems and aging are at high risk of infection.
• Spectators or volunteers increase the risk of infection in others and themes.
• Travel outside the local community. Traveling outside the local community may increase the chances of exposing players, coaches, and fans to COVID-19, or unknowingly distributing it to others. This is especially true if a group from a high-level area of COVID-19 is competing with a group from a low-viral environment. New sports teams should consider competing only with local teams (e.g. location, city, or community).
Activities Of Different Sports Amidst COVID-19
Football
As the epidemic erupts as the NFL season draws to a close, the league has had time on its side, but it has not just survived. By the time the season was to be held on September 10, negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Players Association had resolved many issues before resuming. There have been two concerns, remaining about the number of pre-season games – the league says two, players want nothing – and the testing process. The Premier League and La Liga, major football tournaments were held, the NBA season has resumed.
Cricket
England opened their doors to the West Indies and Pakistan in the Test and in limited overs. From India’s point of view, the biggest improvement over the past week or so has been that the Indian Premier League will eventually be played, even though it is not at home.
Olympics
The postponed Tokyo Olympic Games began on July 23, 2021 and were played until August 8. World Athletics has suspended the Olympic qualifiers until December.
Basketball
- China restarted home basketball league games on June 20.
- The European football club competitions ended the current season without naming the winners due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
World Games and World Beach Games
The 2021 World Beach Games have been postponed annually to avoid clashes with the Olympics and the 2021 World Beach Games have been postponed to 2023.
Athletics
- The 2021 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon have been postponed in the summer of 2022 due to the redesign of the Olympic Games.
- The World Athletics Indoor Championships (Nanjing, March 13-15) have been postponed to 19-21 March 2021.
- The London Marathon scheduled for April 26 was postponed to October 4.
- The Diamond League plans to hold three meetings in August in Monaco, Gateshead and Stockholm followed by September events in Lausanne, Brussels, Paris, Shanghai and possibly Rome or Naples. Meetings in Eugene, Doha and China are scheduled for October.
- World Athletics has released its international calendar season starting with the Continental Tour Gold event in Finland on August 11 and ending with a Diamond League meeting in China.
- This year’s Biathle / Triathle World Championship in Weiden is scheduled for 2021.
- The World Triathlon Series (WTS) and Mixed Relay World Championships in Hamburg have been postponed to September 5-6.
- The Ironman triathlon was postponed to September 6 from its debut on June 21st.
Apart from these many other competitions it has been rescheduled or canceled between COVID-19.
Importance Of Physical Activity During The COVID-19 Epidemic
Due to the current global situation, certain benefits of physical activity may be directly related to the COVID-19 epidemic. These benefits are-
- Exercise improves immune function and reduces inflammation and can reduce the severity of infections.
- Exercise enhances common chronic conditions that increase the risk of COVID-19 (eg Heart Disease, Diabetes).
- Exercise is a great tool for managing stress by reducing the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- Exercise helps to keep cortisol levels in balance. Stress and stress (as in the case of the epidemic) cause imbalances in cortisol levels and this has a detrimental effect on the immune system and inflammation.
Stay Home And Exercise
People are instructed to stay at home but staying at home, although safe, can have unintended side effects because those efforts to prevent the transmission of the virus from person to person can lead to reduced body function. Prolonged stay at home can lead to increased sitting habits, such as spending excessive time sitting, lying down, or lying down to do chores (playing games, watching television, using cell phones); reducing regular physical activity (and therefore lower spending); or performing preventive activities that, as a result, lead to an increased risk and worsening of chronic health conditions. Therefore, there is a solid health foundation for the body’s continuity in the home to stay healthy and maintain the function of the immune system in a dangerous environment right now.
Exercising at home using a variety of safe, easy, and easy-to-use exercises is appropriate to avoid airborne coronavirus and maintain fitness levels. Such types of exercise may include, but are not limited to, strengthening exercises, balance and control activities, exercise, or a combination of these. Examples of home exercise include walking around the house and going to the store where needed, lifting and carrying groceries, alternating legs, climbing stairs, standing and sitting in a chair using a chair from the floor, chair squats, and sit-ups and pushups. Yoga practice is also a great way to relax physically and mentally.
However, when returning to sport certain guidelines must be followed by athletes to ensure their safety and that of others-
- Staying at home if you are sick or have a known or potential exposure. This cannot be said often or clearly enough. We have a great responsibility to each other right now. No practice or competition should endanger another person’s life or health. Ask your doctor or local health department when it is safe to return.
- Wash your hands often. Hand sanitizer should be readily available in practice and competitions, and everyone should use it at all times.
- Wearing a mask- It can be hard to wear one during strenuous exercise, but it can actually save lives. Do something else to try to find the most effective mask, and remember that it needs to cover both the nose and the mouth. Masks are especially important when social distancing does not occur; if players need to take out their own briefly, they should be more than six meters away from anyone.
- Be outdoors as much as possible. This works better in some games than in others, obviously.
- Wipe down any shared machine or regular location. Cleaning supplies should be available as a hand sanitizer, and should be used frequently.
- Lastly, just as players and spectators may want to shout encouragement, it is best to keep quiet, as shouting can spread the virus.
Conclusion
Sports play a very important role in our lives. However, the return of the sport should include the fact that fans are allowed to return and that the rules for keeping away from the community are kept in the stadiums. Medical experts say the process of conducting ‘mass tests’ of athletes and officials alongside competitions is very difficult. The epidemic affected people’s physical activity as a result of various psychological and physical changes. Now that people know how to protect themselves from infection they should use all means to control their sports and try to exercise at home more often. Looking at similarities from home using digital methods can be appreciated. Stay safe and healthy.
FAQ’s
Q.1. How The Current Pandemic Of Covid-19 Has Affected The Regulation Of Sports?
Ans. Due to the spread of COVID-19 there is a minimal participation in sports worldwide leading to abnormal sleep patterns and inadequate diet. Along with that it also led to physical and mental problems.
Q.2. How It Affected The National And International Sports And Tournaments?
Ans. Various national and international tournaments in football, Olympics etc. have been either postponed or cancelled as proximity between players, staffs and volunteers can increase the spread of virus.
Q.3. How Can We Regulate Sports Amidst Covid-19?
Ans. We can regulate sports amidst virus by taking all necessary precautions of wearing masks, sanitizing at regular intervals, maintaining social distancing and if possible staying at home and exercising.
Q.4. Why Is It More Necessary To Include Physical Workout Or Sports In Present Situation?
Ans. In the present situation to manage the symptoms of depression and other illness physical fitness is essential. During lockdown people have gone through various phases be it emotional or physical. Irregular patterns of sleep and diet made people lethargy. Hence to maintain balance in daily routine exercise is necessary.
Q.5. How Can We Workout Staying At Home To Remain Fit?
Ans. There are ways you can stay active and continue your workout – and some of them require very little or no equipment. If you are lucky enough to have a treadmill, then you will be familiar with this internal way to keep yourself fit. But if this does not happen then any activity that raises the heart rate is good for heart health like yoga.
References
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-sport-idUSKBN23I1UC
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7031771/
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Physical_Activity_and_COVID-19
[1] https://www.newdelhitimes.com/role-of-sports-in-the-realisation-of-sustainable-development-goals/#:~:text=The%20Political%20Declaration%20of%20the,contributions%20it%20makes%20to%20the
