The start of 2020 was certainly a difficult time for sporting fans as widespread cancellations and postponements lasted throughout the start and the middle of the year. And while the back half of the year was much better, with many sporting events being seen through to completion, there was no certainty that the good times would last.
2021 has certainly shown that to be true as the start of the year hasn’t got off to the best of news.
Some countries have already announced that they’ll be going in to another lockdown due to the rising numbers throughout the pandemic. The UK, for example, has already announced that this lockdown will last until March with the possibility of an extension later on; and while elite level sports have been given the greenlight to go ahead as normal, many have already stated that they may have no option but to suspend activities due to rising numbers, stating “It is inevitable that the English Football League will have to temporarily suspend fixtures because of rising coronavirus cases.”
Given the widespread impacts felt last year where numbers were still relatively low, it’s safe to say that many will err on the side of caution for the safety of the athletes and be much quicker to rule whether or not cancellations are required. And if they’re happening in one part of the world it’s likely a safe bet that they’ll happen elsewhere too as cases globally continue to be of concern.
Image from skysports.com
The good news for many, however, is that there is at least plenty of entertainment away from sporting events: for example, throughout last year there was a dramatic rise in the number of players turning to online gaming as their primary form of entertainment while sporting events were in a lull, with online casinos being amongst the most popular. Growing sites such as ManySpins.com were able to capitalize on these postponements as a surge of new players continued to roll in throughout the year – if this can be kept up well in to the new year too many will be in a great position despite the struggles face by many throughout the pandemic.
For many, however, it will just be a question of time: while the recovery in 2020 was quick for these events there’s no guarantee the same can happen again. And although there is good news with the vaccines that are already rolling out there are still challenges with distribution – perhaps elite athletes can be protected earlier to keep entertainment active for fans, but it may still be some time before fans return to the stadiums and business as usual returns to our favourite sporting events.
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