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PECULIAR! How 2020 turned out to be an absolute unpredictable year for sports
Sports lovers had turned their pages of the year 2020 with joy and ample hopes in their hearts. The year, which started with plenty of expectations, suddenly turned into a dull and a squib one with the outbreak of the coronavirus. Soon, the world saw it developing into a global pandemic that has taken the lives of millions. The virus which turned out to be contagious induced force lockdown across the globe. Sports and other sectors saw long hiatus which culminated in postponement and cancellation of sporting events. However, it was not only the coronavirus to be blamed for being the spoilsport, there were certain other elements that made the year an absolute unpredictable one:
Tokyo 2020 to 2021
The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 got postponed, the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee announced on 24 March. Originally scheduled to be held from 24 July-9 August 2020, the Games were moved to next year due to the developing global situation in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, they will retain the Tokyo 2020 name.
The announcement came 122 days before the planned Opening Ceremony at the newly-built National Stadium in the Japanese capital.
A joint IOC-Tokyo Organising Committee statement said that following information provided by the World Health Organisation, "The IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.
36 all out
All but the 36-all out in Australia was something that India and its fans had never seen before. India crumbled to their lowest-ever Test score, bringing back memories of the summer of 1974 when a visiting Indian team was bundled out for 42 at the Lord's.
On Saturday though, the conditions weren't as daunting as the English conditions that the Ajit Wadekar side had faced at Lord's. As captain Virat Kohli himself pointed out, the wicket at the Adelaide Oval, on a bright sunny afternoon, didn't do much. But India fell apart in less than 90 minutes, going from 9 for 1 to 36-all out as their hopes of spoiling Australia's pink-ball party came crashing down.
None of the Indian batsmen got past single-digit scores while senior campaigners Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane faltered under pressure, adding just 4 runs between them to India's tally of 36. It was a horror show as Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood looked like they would pick up a wicket with every delivery. They ended up with all 9 Indian wickets that fell.
'I retire' says P V Sindhu
India’s badminton champion P.V. Sindhu left fans and social media in a tizzy Monday after she posted “I Retire”, and added that not being able to represent India at the Denmark Open was the last straw. While on the face of it appeared the Olympic silver medalist was retiring from the sport, her post, which included a series of text slides, went on to say she was retiring from this “current state of unrest”, “negativity” and “complete lack of control over the unknown” in reference to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the three-page note, Sindhu said the pandemic had been an “eye-opener” that left her wondering “how do I defeat this invisible virus that has the entire world in a fix”. Speaking about Covid-19, she further said she was also retiring from “substandard hygiene standards and our lackadaisical attitude towards the virus”. Towards the end of her post, she acknowledged that her message may have given people a mini heart-attack, but added that “unprecedented times required unprecedented measures”.
French Open in September
French Open, one of the most prestigious tennis grand slams in the world, which is held in June-July every year was delayed to September 27 owing to COVID-19 pandemic. Roland-Garros announced in March the French Tennis Federation postponed the major until Sept. 20. Later the federation updated the timeline to Sept. 27 instead. A delay allowed for some level of positivity since officials were resolute in staging the French Open. At least, we got to the King of Clay triumphing again in his favourite arena to take his mark to 20th grand slam.
Djokovic contracting coronavirus without following protocols
Top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic announced Tuesday that he and his wife have COVID-19 after he played in a series of exhibition matches he organized in Serbia and Croatia with zero social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. In April, he was criticized for saying he would not want to take a vaccine for the virus in order to be able to compete, even if it were mandatory for travel. In May, when he was staying in Spain, Djokovic broke local lockdown rules by practicing at a tennis club about a week before it was allowed. More recently, Djokovic complained about the U.S. Tennis Association's plans to try to protect people from the virus during the US Open with such measures as limiting the size of players' entourages. He went so far as to say he didn't know whether he would go to the tournament in New York. The US Open is scheduled to begin Aug. 31 without spectators, and the French Open -- postponed from May -- is supposed to start Sept. 27. Djokovic found himself defending the lax arrangements of his Adria Tour exhibitions, which were meant to raise money to help those affected by the pandemic but where the stands were packed and players casually interacted with fans and each other off the court. Djokovic and other players were seen hugging each other and partying in nightclubs and restaurants.
Champions League game postponed after players walk off over alleged racism
The Champions League game between Paris Saint-Germain and Basaksehir was postponed when players walked off the field after alleging that fourth official Sebastian Coltescu of Romania used a racial term when identifying an assistant coach. Players from the Turkish team were furious after assistant coach Pierre Webo was shown a red card by referee Ovidiu Hategan of Romania at Parc des Princes, saying Coltescu had used a racial term to describe Webo, who is from Cameroon, before he was sent off.
Messi's transfer saga
Following the Bayern defeat Barcelona in the UEFA Champion's League, Spanish giants FC Barcelona could get hold of no trophies that season. The club's failure to introduce a decent transfer policy propelled their main-man Lionel Messi to seek an exit last summer. Reportedly, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner was also upset with the club not ensuring Neymar's return.
The burofax saga turned out to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Messi urged the club to let him leave on a free transfer citing the special clause in his contract. But Bartomeu insisted that the clause was past its date and any prospective club should pay his release clause, estimated at €700 million, in its entirety, to sign him. LaLiga's stand was in favour of Bartomeu, compelling the Argentina international to continue for yet another season. Speaking to Goal, the Barcelona man said, "I am going to continue in the club because the president told me that the only way to leave was to pay the €700m clause and that this is impossible."
Romain Grosjean crash
F1 driver Romain Grosjean survived a horrific crash miraculously on Sunday during the Bahrain Grand Prix as he emerged out of a burning car with only minor burns on his fingers. He did not have a single broken bone as walked into the ambulance after a car-splitting crash, that is a first since one in Monaco in 1991, according to BBC. Grosjean's car veered off the track and rammed straight into the crash barrier, which split it into two. The split car immediately caught fire but Grosjean managed to limp out of it with the help of the Chief Medical officer and the Medical car driver.
Grosjean reportedly braked the car when it was going on at approximately 215kmph and the estimated impact speed was 200kmph. The impact was measured at a force of 53G. In terms of how the crash looked like, it was perhaps the worst Formula One has seen in a long time. Yet, Grosjean survived without much damage and F1's halo system is being credited for the same.
Indian Premier League in October
India's biggest cricketing extravaganza, the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is organised in May every year, was held in October-November wing to the pandemic and in Dubai under strict bio-bubble. Mumbai Indians emerged as the champions.
Cardboard fans
2020 might be the year of the fake sports fan. Once bustling with beer-soaked fans, stadiums across the world are now full of cardboard cutouts. Unable to attend games in person, diehard fans are ponying up $20 to $30 to have their photos printed out and affixed to the seats at Korean baseball games, German football matches, and more.
In the age of COVID-19, fake guests have become one-off oddities at restaurants and high school graduation ceremonies. But in the sports world, cardboard fans could be a game changer.
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