2020 Sporting Calendar post COVID-19
At the start of 2020 we did out a sports calendar, listing all major sporting events on the the coming 12 months. Fast forward to march and that calendar has been cut up with an axe! Already the Euro 2020 Football has been postponed and as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread it’s nasty tentacles around the world. As of today the world’s biggest sporting event, the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo has been postponed until 2021
Sport has typically been the panacea in times of crisis and uncertainty, however, it too is experiencing catastrophic disruption during this Coronavirus outbreak as countries take measures to protect their citizens and mass gatherings at sporting events no longer permitted for the foreseeable future. Nothing on this scale has effected the sports world so much since World War 2.
Let’s look at the effects across the major sports:
Horse Racing
While Cheltenham very controversially got the go ahead, the Aintree Gran National has been cancelled and British Racing have suspended all race meetings suspended from Wednesday 18th March.
Some of the richest horse races in the world like the Dubai World Cup will go ahead without spectators while the Kentucky Derby has been postponed.
Football
Just today at the time of writing (19th March) On Thursday, the FA, Premier League and EFL announced that the suspension of English football has been extended until at least April 30th amid the coronavirus pandemic. The statement also revealed that the current season will be “extended indefinitely.
The Euro 2020 football championship due to take place place from June 12th to July 12th has been postponed until 2021.
Tennis
The ATP World Tour and WTA professional tennis season is now suspended through 7 June 2020. At this time, tournaments taking place from 8 June 2020 onwards are still planning to go ahead as per the published schedule. It was announced on 1st April that Wimbledon will be cancelled this year.
Other major sporting disruptions in recent memory
Golf
The US Masters and US PGA have both been postponed.
Hockey
In the NHL is business as usual for the moment, we will keep an eye on this one.
NBA
The NBA has temporarily suspended the 2019-20 season in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics
It started with Australia and Canada have already pulling their teams from this years Olympics. And then news broke on 24th March that the 2020 summer games would be postponed for at least 12 months.
Here’s an updated look at the major sporting events on the 2020 sports calendar between now and August:
March
Dubai World Cup – 28th March, Dubai – This race will go ahead but without fans
April
The Grand National in Aintree, Liverpool on April 4th – Cancelled
US Masters Golf – 9th – 12th April in Augusta, Georgia – Postponed
The World Snooker championships – 18th March – 4th May in Sheffield, England – World Snooker Tour announced its postponing until July or August.
FINA Diving World Cup – 21st – 27th April Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Tokyo, Japan – Postponed until June
*Protecting Yourself From COVID-19*
May
The Ice Hockey World Championships (IHWC) – May 1st – 17th in Switzerland – Going ahead for now
Kentucky Derby – 2nd May in Kentucky, USA – Postponed
Giro d’Italia – 9th – 31st May, Italy – Postponed, no date set.
USPGA Golf – May 11th- 17th San Francisco, California – Postponed
French Open / Roland-Garros – May 18th – 27th, Paris, France – Postponed until 20th September
FA Cup Final – 23rd May , London – Still to be decided
Indy 500 endurance motor race – 24th May, Indianapolis, USA – Going ahead for now
UEFA Champions League Final – 30th May in Istanbul – Going ahead for now
NHL Stanley Cup Finals will be held this year in late May and early June – Going ahead for now.
We will update all the below dates once decisions are made on their viability.
June
English Derby – 6th June, Epsom, England
The Euro 2020 – 12th June – 12th of July across Europe. Postponed until 2021
24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race – June 13th – 14th, Le Mans, France.
NBA Finals – 4th – 21st June
US Open Golf – 18th – 21st at Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York
Irish Derby – June 20th, Kildare, Ireland
Tour De France – 27th June – 19th July in France
Wimbledon – 29th June – 12th July – Cancelled!
July
British Open Golf, 16th – 19th July at Royal St George’s Golf Club, Sandwich Kent England
2020 Summer Olympics – 24th July – 9th August, Tokyo, Japan. The Tokyo Olympics have been rescheduled to run from July 23 to August 8, 2021
August
Rowing World Championships, 16th – 23rd August, Slovenia
Senior Hurling Championship – 16th August, Dublin
US Open Tennis – 24th August – 13th Sept, Flushing Meadows, New York
2020 Paralympics – 25th Aug – 6th Sept
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