THE year 2020 will be remembered as the year of Covid-19 virus which impelled a decline in almost all aspects of human life.

To say that the pandemic rocked the entire world will, in fact, be a huge understatement; it not only accounted for almost two million deaths but turned the economies of nearly all countries upside down, leaving millions and millions of people including health experts haplessly grappling with the hitherto unknown yet lethal virus.

Like all else, sports, too, was badly hit by Covid-19. The postponement of Tokyo Olympics 2020 was, of course, an unprecedented incident that literally shook the world of sports. The Games organisers - International Olympic Committee — are now desperately hoping that the pandemic subsides to a great extent in 2021 and are determined to hold the Tokyo Games in July.

It remains to be seen, though, what measures the IOC will take to ensure the staging of the Olympics. In the past week alone, Japan has witnessed more than 300 Covid-19 casualties while more than 16,000 corona cases have been reported.

Many critics around the world, therefore, are still skeptical about the Olympics taking place this year and are questioning the IOC’s plans and its resolve to hold the Games ‘with or without the Covid-19 pandemic’.

Besides Olympic Games, hundreds of other sporting events around the globe including football leagues, cricket series, Wimbledon, boxing events, athletics meets etc also had to be postponed while many renowned athletes and sports personalities posted their training sessions on social media during the quarantine period to stay healthy, fit and safe.

Among these postponed events is also the Asian Beach Games which were to be hosted by China in 2020 and Pakistan was gearing up for the exciting event. It will now be hosted this year.

This forced break from sports has not just created considerable distance between fans and sports it also affected the livelihood of thousands of ground staff and match officials.

It is indeed alarming how the second wave of Covid-19 is spreading, causing rapid increase in the cases which is leading to several casualties and causing further serious threats to the environment.

Having said that, 2020 is now behind us and the optimists and strong-willed people are confident of a miraculous change in the prevailing scenario and are hoping to once again breathe in a coronavirus free environment in the new year. Let’s hope they are right and 2021 brings smiles back on every face!

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2021