The game must go on.
This pandemic created such a toll on the lives of many people. The world of sports is no exemption, as it also underwent a drastic change to adjust to the situation at hand. Canceling all the games is out of the question. Although most of the scheduled games got postponed to a later date, and some even got canceled for good, several sports games decided to continue to rock the court and field.
In these times of crisis, carrying on with the games means that it will not proceed as per usual. There will not be a stadium filled with football fanatics drinking their beers while cheering on their team. The basketball arena will not have a ballistic crowd every time a player makes an incredulous move. Instead, these games will be played in an empty arena without an audience.
The UEFA Champions League Final concluded with Bayern Munich hailed as the victors. As much as it disheartened the fans not being able to witness the game, a closed-door game was implemented. Bayern Munich claimed its sixth Champions League title in a 1-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon last August 23, 2020.
The first NBA team to play in closed doors was Golden State Warriors against Brooklyn Nets at Chase Center in San Francisco last March 12, 2020. The game went on without any spectators. They barred their fans from coming to the arena due to the threats of the COVID-19 pandemic as to avoid the spread of the virus. This action taken by the NBA team gave the officials an idea to let the upcoming games be played without an audience. A no-fan-attendance approach is taken due to the COVID-19 crisis as several sports events want to go on amid the pandemic.
This season’s NBA playoffs had been going on with an empty arena. The first round of playoffs started on August 18 and had been going on until NBA Boycott happened. Lakers decided not to show up for Game 5 and gave a firm stand on not playing for the rest of the playoffs, together with the clippers.
In the national setting, on the other hand, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Butch Ramirez already announced that there will be no sports events to be held in the country unless a vaccine becomes available. PBA has canceled the D-League Aspirants’ Cup games and activities and 3×3 inaugurals until further notice. The FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers can be expected in November. The FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be hosted by Austria on May 26 to 30, 2021. The UAAP has canceled the remainder of Season 82. For UAAP Season 83, the league is considering to start early next year. They are planning to have a competition schedule similar to the Southeast Asian Games to facilitate the event better. However, National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Season 95 will sadly not happen anytime soon.
Amidst the pandemic, they were still able to provide entertainment to the people while having their safety as the top priority. Though fans’ disappointment cannot be avoided, having a no-fan-attendance approach is the best course of action to take amidst the current situation and for the majority’s sake.
