No sport is sacred after plug is pulled on the Olympic Games

You never know what’s around the corner. If we were told last January that sport would soon be brought to a virtual standstill all over the globe, the levels of disbelief would have been immeasurable. Sure, how could that happen would be the common refrain? Anyway, hasn’t sport always found a way to stay going?

Well, not this time. Not even the Second World War in the forties proved so disruptive as Covid-19. This time, even domestic sport has fallen by the wayside, while the financial consequences for international codes, in particular, almost unimaginable. The disruption to the 2020 sporting calendar has already been immense with the prospect of worse to come.

The postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games for a year illustrates profoundly the impact of the coronavirus. If the Olympics have to be rescheduled, no sporting occasion can be insulated. The Augusta Masters and the Aintree Grand National – two massive events which transcend sporting boundaries – are two other notable casualties.

We are all wondering how long will the suspension of sport continue? The truth is nobody knows. There are encouraging signs that Spain and Italy – the two European countries most seriously hit by the pandemic – are ‘flattening the curve’, but hundreds are still continuing to die on a daily basis.

In Ireland, the overwhelming majority of people have rallied the behind the unstinting efforts of the Government and the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, but Covid-19 is still taking a big toll, with the prospect of the current restrictions to combat its spread now likely to be extended to at least the end of April.

It a worrying and frustrating time for everybody. Many families have already lost good people, while hundreds of thousands are being financially bailed out by the State. Cities have been turned into ghost towns, while many businesses are closed, with doubts now over their long-term viability. Pubs and restaurants are also gathering dust.

Yet, those of us involved in sport – whether as a player, mentor, supporter or official – can be a selfish lot. We miss it badly and though I am a primarily a GAA and horse racing aficionado, I also long for the return of soccer, rugby and golf. In fact, all of them – bar any form of motor racing.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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