WE ARE slowly regaining what we may have lost at the start of this pandemic. We are freer to move about and interact compared to several months back. It is a welcome sign of how we are progressing in our fight against Covid-19.
Alongside this promising development, there is still so much uncertainty on how we should slowly ease in sports participation. The NBA is preparing for a return but already met with players testing positive to the disease. What impact this will have is to the league is still unknown, but it makes one thing clear, we can contract the virus if we don't observe physical distancing.
Today supposedly marks the month for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Many sports patrons were looking forward to these summer games, but fate will not have it proceed. With participants from all over the world, screening all participants flying into Tokyo for the matches can be challenging. We can only imagine what a logistic nightmare it would have been if they pursued the conduct of the games.
While the IATF has allowed non-contact sports to resume, organized events open to spectators may seem impossible unless following guidelines and regulations. Sports events are sure crowd drawers. Even non-contact sports have their fan bases. Organizers may need to come up with innovations to allow fans to enjoy sports live and not as a streamed event. There is something different engaging in sports with no fans and spectators. They go together, and the absence of one gives a different feeling altogether.
For school-based sports events, most spectators are family members of the student-athletes. They are there to cheer on sons and daughters and grandkids. Watching these children play was a joy we used to get every weekend. Incidentally, these student-athletes will have to wait until they are allowed to participate in activities. And the parents and grandparents too.
Covid-19 has taken away a lot from us. From athletes to fan bases to families. We are all left wondering. Will we ever shake hands with fellow sports lovers after every game?
Will we ever get back to those times when fans will cheer on every excellent possession? Can we get back the sports weekends spent with family and friends?
Until then, we are all left in the dark as to how we can enjoy live sports while maintaining health protocols.