Answer:
Sports have traditionally served as a global unifies. Race, religion, politics, socioeconomic status and gender are all thrown out the window when supporters band together to celebrate (or commiserate) the result of a competition.
As Nelson Mandela once said: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.”
With the world in the midst of the corona virus pandemic and people feeling more isolated now more than ever with borders closed and stay-at-home mandates in place, sports—its athletes, personalities, executives, coaches, leagues, teams and fans—can again prove that the cohesive power of more is greater than any single individual.
“Athletes are role models in society. Kids listen to what athletes say more than they listen to their parents; that’s a reality,” two-time NBA champion Paul Ga sol said. “Let’s utilize that in a time of need like this one in order to send the right message, in order to do the right thing, in order to unite and bring the best out of people in a time of uncertainty and adversity. That’s a chance we have right now. “Instead of looking out for our own or pointing fingers or criticizing or being more separate than we were, it’s a time we can really come together. It’s an opportunity. I hope we don’t waste it.”
Officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, there are more than 4.7 million confirmed cases of OVID-19 across the globe and more than 380,000 deaths. The world has been in an indefinite standstill.
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Sports in North America began spiraling into a series of suspensions following the NBA’s swift announcement on March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Robert tested positive. The ML, NHL and MKS are also playing a waiting game this season, while the NFL is attempting to begin its 2020-21 campaign as scheduled on September 10. The 2020 Olympics were postponed until next summer. European soccer leagues were suspended. Nearly two months later as the curve is beginning to flatten in certain countries and U.S. states, various sports have been resurrected under restrictive conditions.
The PFC held its first live event during the pandemic on May 9 despite a positive test from one of its fighters (whose bout was cancelled). NASCAR returned on May 17 after a nearly two-month hiatus as a result of OVID-19. Germany’s Bundestag was the first major soccer league to restart, hosting games this past weekend without fans while implementing various health and safety measures. Spain’s Kigali is hoping to return by mid-June, while English Premier League PIN -3.7% clubs voted to begin small group training sessions as early as today. “This is a new circumstance, a new situation and it’s not easy to imagine what will happen in the future,” said CF Barcelona vice-president Jodi Carder, who tested positive for OVID-19 in early April. “At the end of the day, it’s a global problem. We are not the only ones affected by it, everyone is affected.
“.. We have to learn from each other. There are a lot of things to discover because we’re all facing a new reality and it won’t be easy.”
NBA players including Giannini Contemporaneous, Kevin Love, Zion Williamson, and Blake Griffin, for example, made donations to cover the salaries of hourly workers at arenas across the country. Approximately 100 NBA players and the NBA Players Association Foundation have donated a combined $5.5 million to nonprofits to assist in pandemic relief.
“I think athletes can play a critical role during this time and during the pandemic,” said Ga sol, who is working with UNICEF, the Red Cross and the Ga sol Foundation to encourage people, especially kids, to remain active and engaged during this time. “Athletes have a tremendous platform to attract people and lead movements. I would encourage any athlete and every athlete to try and do that in a positive manner.”
“There’s always been this tip-toe kind of dance around politics and crisis when it comes to sports,” Jenkins said. “Some people want to keep sports simply about sports and that’s that, but there’s also a consciousness behind it that sports have a larger responsibility to society that feeds it. … That mentality needs to switch and that starts with league leaders and our country’s leaders to be able to come together not only a national plan but a way to really galvanize people and give hope.”
