Cricket
Year-End Awards: Sports tournaments that brought back smiles during the pandemic
The outbreak of COVID-19 across the world in 2020 had a pretty grim effect on sports. Since mid-March, most sports across the world and also in India were on hold. The men's T20 World Cup was due to take place in Australia this year from October but was cancelled. The biggest blow, however, came with the suspension of the Tokyo Olympic games 2020, which has so far been postponed to July 2021.
As the year drew to its fag end, sports slowly made its way back, of course with several conditions and protocols in check, and finally gave sports lovers around the globe to cheer for their heroes. Here we look at several such sporting tournaments in 2020 which brought back smiles among fans.
Organising the Indian Premier League in bio-bubble
IPl 2020 champions Mumbai Indians
One of the biggest cricketing extravaganzas in the world, the Indian Premier League (IPL), recently concluded its 13th edition in UAE as Mumbai Indians emerged champions for the fifth time. It was organised inside a bio-bubble, a secure sanitised area sealed from the outside world and only accessible by an approved set of people. Being held without a live audience for the very first time, a lot of the action amongst fans, teams and players was observed virtually on Facebook this year. The event was a big conversation driver registering as many as 10 million+ mentions on Facebook led by fervent fans around the world with 74% of the people talking about IPL falling between the 18-34 years age group. Mumbai Indians, the winners of IPL 2020 was the most talked about team this season and Virat Kohli from Royal Challengers Bangalore was the most mentioned player. We also saw a host of celebrities, creators, publishers and more come together on Facebook to share their IPL experiences and join in the conversation in their own unique ways.
Also read: A look at the best Tweets by the teams in IPL 2020
ISL in India
Rafael Crivellaro in action (Source: ISL)
Behind closed doors and with a raft of health safety measures in place, football's Indian Super League (ISL) kicked off in Goa on November 20 and became the country's first major tournament to be organised since the enforcement of a COVID-19 lockdown in March. Former champions ATK Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters started the proceedings in a blockbuster clash at the GMC Stadium. But the season's first biggest game was undoubtedly the one between ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal in Fatorda on November 27, where the two heavyweights renewed their more-than-a-century-old rivalry in a new avatar. The 2020-21 season registered a growth of 8% in viewership in the opening week as compared to the previous year. As per the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India, the tournament registered 3.42 billion viewing minutes in the first eight matches of 2020-21 as compared to 3.16 billion viewing minutes in 2019-20. The addition of a dedicated LIVE Fan Wall raises the excitement a notch higher to help viewers celebrate important moments with their favourite team and heroes. The two LED screens feature fans from the home team and the away team, thus amplifying the rivalry virtually to enhance the viewing experience.
Also read:
India winning Chess Olympiad gold
Team India at Chess Olympiad (Source: Chess.com)
The month of August proved out to be historic for the Indian chess fraternity. The Indian team were declared joint-winners along with Russia in the FIDE online Olympiad after the grand finale was hit by server malfunction and internet disruptions. This victory came at an unprecedented time when nothing significant had happened for the stars of the Indian sports for over months since the lockdown was imposed. India’s first-ever entry into the final of the Chess Olympiad surely showcases the country’s rising stature at an international level. The victory at the Olympiad, though online could be an assuring sound of success that nobody can write-off India’s stature in world sports. The results paved an important milestone for chess in India. Although the Olympiad doesn’t carry the same lustre as a World Championship or the Candidates. In the past, chess greats had prioritised Linares and Tata Steel to the Chess Olympiad. Surprisingly, 60,000 people had tuned in to Raina’s live-stream for the finals, which could barely be seen for an otherwise quiet, staid game.
Also read: Why the Chess Olympiad victory is an important milestone for India?
Airtel Delhi Half Marathon - Avinash Sable breaking records
Avinash Sable at Airtel Delhi Half Marathon
When the world’s most prestigious distance-running event the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM) was announced, the running community could not help but rejoice. With more than 13,600 amateur runners and around 60 elite runners participating in this year’s half marathon, the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2020 was a phenomenal success and a much-needed boost for the resurgence of sports in India. The ADHM 2020, a World Athletic Gold Label Race was conducted with the highest level of safety-standards, with bio-secure zones for the athletes in New Delhi; amateur runners across the country were given the opportunity to participate from the comfort of their neighborhood through the ADHM Mobile App. More than 60 elite runners from across the world, including the likes of World record holders Brigid Kosgei, Ababel Yeshaneh, Amedework Walelegn, Yalemzerf Yehualaw, Andamlak Belihu from Ethiopia, as well as Avinash Sable who will be representing India in the 3000m steeplechase in Tokyo Olympics 2020; participated in ADHM 2020. Indians had another reason to cheer, as Sable set a new national record in winning the ADHM. The 26-year-old steeplechaser completed his win in 1:00:30sec to become the only Indian to finish half a marathon in less than 61 minutes.
Also read: Avinash Sable approached Delhi Half Marathon as a test where he set records
