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How Covid-19 affects India's participation in the upcoming international tournaments
Here, we look at how the second wave of covid-19 affects India's participation in global sporting tournaments.
The second wave of coronavirus pandemic has hit India really badly. The country is recording cases around 3 lakh cases every day and is registering a death in excess of ten thousand per day.
There seems to be no respite in near future for the citizens of the country, especially when the Prime Minister himself ruled out the country going under strict lockdown. Even though the government, on their part is trying to vaccinate the citizens extensively, the shortage of oxygen cylinders, Remedesvir and hospital beds mean that the healthcare sector of the country is slowly but surely crumbling.
With the situation in India worsening, quite a few countries like the United Kingdom, United States of America, New Zealand, and Pakistan have banned travel from or to India.
Under such circumstances when there are strict travelling restrictions, the country's sporting fraternity is bound to be affected. Here, we look at how the second wave of covid-19 affects India's participation in global sporting tournaments.
Badminton
Badminton Asia Championship
The Badminton Asia Championship which was supposed to be held in the last week of April and the first week of May was supposed to act as an Olympic qualification tournament. But the pullout of China as the host of the tournament, and no other country in the continent ready to host such a tournament, the Badminton Asia Championship has been postponed at least until the end of the Olympics.
Indian Open
A couple of days back, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) in consultation with the Badminton World Federation (BWF) decided to postpone the Indian Open Badminton indefinitely owing to a high surge in coronavirus cases in the country.
The Indian Open was amongst the last three Tokyo Olympics qualifying tournament in badminton and its indefinite postponement has left top Indian shuttlers – Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth in muddy waters just before the Olympics.
Hockey
FIH Pro League: Great Britain v/s India
The implication of the United Kingdom (UK) government banning travel from and to India was directly seen in the sport of hockey. After UK added India to the 'travel red list', the FIH Pro League matches between Great Britain and India which were to be held on 8th and 9th May 2021 in London has been postponed.
Though there were no indications on as to when the matches would now be held, the Indian hockey team is still expected to travel to Europe to face-off against Germany and Spain in the same month.
Athletics
Mumbai Marathon
The prestigious Mumbai Marathon which is usually held in the month of January was pushed back by almost four months to May earlier in the year due to the pandemic. But, with the second wave of the coronavirus causing destruction like never before, the organisers are again forced to postpone it indefinitely. If the Mumbai Marathon would have been organised as planned on 30th May 2021, then it would have acted as a Tokyo Olympic qualification event as well.
Cricket
India A tour of England
Much before the UK government decided to put India under the 'travel red list' and postponed the FIH Pro League matches between the two countries, India A tour of England which would have seen the Indian youngsters take on the England Lions and their own senior team was postponed due to the ever-increasing coronavirus curve.
