As sporting activities make a partial return to our screens, sports enthusiasts especially football lovers are quite excited. But, with the absence of fans, these sporting events have been characterised as mere “friendlies” by many on social media.
FOOTBALL
Germany’s top flight league the ‘Bundesliga’ resumed over the weekend with league leaders Bayern Munich comfortably defeating Union Berlin 2-0 and Mainz playing a 2 all draw with FC Koln, a match which saw Nigeria’s Taiwo Awoniyi score his first ever goal in the German league.
Football also resumed with a lot more activities than the core action on the pitch. For instance footballs were cleaned with disinfectants, while players and officials were subjected to mandatory temperature checks. There were also no pre-match handshakes, spitting was not allowed and players on reserve wore masks and observed social distancing protocols while on the bench. In addition, celebration of goals was done individually and most importantly, fans were absent! The absence of fans translates to no cheering, jeering, or cajoling, which constitutes some of key elements of any sporting activity. Some social media users have described these sporting events as pre-season friendlies!
GOLF
World Number One, Rory Mcllroy and Dustin Johnson win Charity Skins Game in Florida
The game which featured Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolf at the Seminole Golf Club, saw both parties win 1.53 million pounds and 951,000 pounds respectively. The prize monies will be donated in support of efforts at curbing COVID-19.
TENNIS – Nigeria Table Tennis Tournament Cancelled
The global pandemic has forced the organisers of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) to cancel the 2020 edition scheduled to hold in Lagos on the 22nd of August. The tournament had attracted elite players globally ranked within 200.
However, there are plans by the LOC, Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) and the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC) to stage a special invitational tournament toward the end of the year with top players across the world expected to grace the event.
