COVID19

Empty stands has been the new normal for tennis since last year due to COVID-19 restrictions but top men's players like Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic said they still find it difficult to maintain their intensity during matches in the absence of fans. The professional circuit was shut down for several months last year before tournament organisers set up 'biosecure bubbles' for players and support staff while keeping fans away from stadiums. Barring the swing in Australia in February, tournaments continue to be

SHANGHAI: After repeated postponements stretching back more than a year because of COVID-19, South Korea and China's women's football teams will finally meet on Thursday (Apr 8) for a last-ditch spot at the Tokyo Olympics. The first leg takes place in Goyang, South Korea, and the return fixture is on Apr 13 in the Chinese city of Suzhou, with a place in this summer's delayed 2020 Games up for grabs. The Olympic qualifier was first scheduled for March last year but became an

Former Indian cricketer and legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar has tested positive for COVID-19. Taking to social media, the Little Master informed that all other members at his home have returned a negative COVID result. "I have been testing myself and taking all the recommended precautions to ensure Covid is kept at bay. However, I've tested positive today following mild symptoms," Tendulkar said in a statement on Twitter. "All others at home have tested negative. I've quarantined myself at home and am following all

The Pakistan Super League has been indefinitely postponed after three new coronavirus cases were recorded on Thursday, the total number of coronavirus cases in the Twenty20 cricket league to seven. The Pakistan Cricket Board made the decision after the owners of the six teams expressed reservations about continuing, even with the option of a five-day circuit-breaker.' The postponement was induced, Khan acknowledged, by violations of COVID-19 protocols in the bio-secure bubble. 14 of the 20 preliminary round matches have been held in Karachi,

Since Australian legspinner Fawad Ahmed showed symptoms for COVID-19 and was placed in isolation. Pakistan Super League match was postponed on Monday. The Pakistan Cricket Board rescheduled the match between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators for Tuesday after it was initially postponed by two hours. According to the PCB, all existing Islamabad United players and the entire Quetta Gladiators squad screened negative. Ahmed took 1-40 against Peshawar Zalmi on Saturday in his only performance in the PSL this season. Islamabad was defeated by

The Australian state of Victoria will lock down for five days in a bid to curb the spread of a more contagious coronavirus variant, meaning the Australian Open will go without fans during what is usually its busiest few days. Authorities have identified 13 new cases tied to an employee of a quarantine hotel in Melbourne, who tested positive for the so-called United Kingdom coronavirus variant on Monday. Five of those cases were identified in the previous 24 hours, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews

The Covid-19 awareness campaign urges people to wear masks, practice social distancing and hand hygiene. FIFA has announced the launch of a public awareness campaign with the World Health Organization during the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020. The awareness campaign will be launched by broadcasting messages in the stadium where the football stars participate in order to continue promoting the awareness initiative and to accelerate the availability of tools to combat Covid-19 pandemic. The Covid-19 awareness campaign urges people to wear muzzles,

BBC A Spanish tennis player who was among many Australian Open competitors to complain about quarantine rules has revealed she has coronavirus. Paula Badosa said she had felt unwell with symptoms before testing positive for the virus in Melbourne on Thursday. Badosa is believed to be the fourth competitor to test positive in hotel quarantine, but is the first to identify herself publicly. On Friday, she said "sorry guys", adding quarantine rules were "pivotal". "Please, don't get me wrong. Health will always comes

It could not be confirmed exactly why the Super Kings have opted to stay indoors at the team hotel in Dubai. There has also been no official communication sent out by the franchise. Kasi Viswanathan, the Super Kings chief executive officer, did not respond to calls. As per the IPL's Covid-19 protocols, all teams would have to undergo a test at the airport upon landing in the UAE followed by three tests on days 1, 3 and 5 during the mandatory six-day quarantine

Australia and Zimbabwe have agreed to postpone three one-day internationals in August because of the difficulty of putting on the series while the new coronavirus pandemic continues, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Tuesday. Zimbabwe were due to play the first match at a venue yet to be determined in the far north of Australia on Aug. 9 with a further clash three days later and a final fixture in Townsville on Aug. 15. CA said in a statement that the decision was mutually

Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan were named in the 29-member squad for Pakistan's upcoming tour to England in August-September but now their participation will be doubtful. Pakistan cricket was dealt with a massive blow on Monday after the country's board confirmed that three of it's players tested positive for Covid-19. The Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday released a statement saying that Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Haider Ali contracted the new coronavirus after being tested in Rawalpindi on Sunday. The three cricketers

Those concerned were eventually cleared after in-house and official testing, but three training sessions had to be sat out by the Gunners stars. Arsenal’s preparations for the Premier League restart on June 17 were hampered by one of their players testing positive for Covid-19, with three forced into quarantine. The Gunners made their return to competitive action after a three-month hiatus away at Manchester City. An error-strewn performance from David Luiz cost them dear at the Etihad Stadium, with the Brazilian defender at

For the first time in his four years as in-charge of the iconic Eden Park in Auckland, Nick Sautner says he witnessed a near-stampede at the turnstiles last Sunday. A 15-year record crowd of 43,000 poured in for the Super Rugby encounter between the Blues and Hurricanes, though Sautner says the atmosphere was so electric that he felt it was twice that number. “Has to be one of the best nights at this famous ground…One of the most historic, too,” he says. Though

Zhejiang Lions smashed Nanjing Monkey Kings 112-95 in the first match as the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league resumed after a 151-day suspension in Qingdao, Shandong province on Saturday. Zhejiang built a 34-25 lead in the first quarter, as Zhao Yanhao scored 11 points and Sun Minghui contributed eight points, reports Xinhua news agency. Nanjing narrowed the gap to only one point in the second quarter, but Zhejiang launched a 7-0 run and regained the advantage. Led by center Hu Jinqiu, Zhejiang continued

3 Test matches, 20 days, 2 venues and a bio-secure environment and cricket is finally set to make a comeback 4 months after cricket, and pretty much everything else, was ‘cancelled’ due to the coronavirus pandemic. England is leading the way and bringing international cricket back this July, with a 3-match Test series against the West Indies. But with nearly 3 lakh cases and almost 2000 new positive cases everyday, how is the ECB planning to pull off this series? Well, let’s start

The Premier League is back! Or, at least, it should be on June 17. The plan is still subject to government approval but barring any further setbacks, English football will return from its coronavirus-enforced break with Manchester City vs. Arsenal and Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United. These Wednesday openers will be followed by a full round of weekend fixtures (June 19-21), with a provisional end date for the campaign set for July 25. There are 92 outstanding matches and while they will be

The tests came from three clubs, with the English top flight not announcing the names of those who are positive for coronavirus The Premier League has announced that four more people have tested positive for Covid-19 after a third round of testing was completed. The four cases have come from three clubs, with the league not announcing the names of those who tested positive for the coronavirus. "The Premier League can today confirm that on Monday 25 May and Tuesday 26 May, 1008

The top authorities of tennis are finding every possible way to resume the tour in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the better alternatives to restart tennis is to play behind closed doors. However, World No.1 Novak Djokovic explained that it will not be an ideal situation for the tennis players. Djokovic suggested that he cannot think of playing competitive tennis in front of empty stands. However, he admitted that playing behind closed doors is the only way to resume the

Former India captain Rahul Dravid feels the ambition to resume cricket in a bio-secure environment is "unrealistic", giving a thumbs down to the concept primarily floated by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Seeking to restart its cricket season after weeks of inactivity owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ECB recently announced that it would have in place bio-secure venues to host Pakistan and the West Indies later this summer. But batting great Dravid is not convinced with the concept. "It is a

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said India will not host any international event in immediate future and fans will have to learn to live with the new normal of sporting activities happening behind closed doors in the post COVID-19 world. Rijiju's statement gain greater significance in the context of the suspended IPL, which the BCCI wants to host in October-November in case the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia is postponed. "We have been working for quite some time now to resume