One thing that has put this year into disarray is the coronavirus pandemic and sports has been one of the areas that has been hit hard.
Leagues have been suspended, tournaments postponed, racing competitions rescheduled, among others.
But the major one is the Olympics Games.
A few weeks back it looked like an impossible decision to cancel the event but after various deliberation with stakeholders and major federations threatening to sit it out due to the effects of the pandemic, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) agreed to rethink the decision.
So how has it affected athletes? Many of the athletes have had to adhere to stringent lockdown rules necessary to protect lives but a measure that has affected training regimes in many ways.
Team captain for Ghana at the 2016 Olympic Games John Ampomah concedes that it has been a big problem for many athletes but lives matter at this stage more than anything else.
“It is very unfortunate that the Olympics got postponed but the good thing is we have additional time to prepare. I for instance haven’t qualified yet so it is going to give me more time to prepare well.
“On the other hand, we have other people who have lost their jobs and many others who have lost their lives so the situation I am in now as an athlete is different from what others are going through,” he said in an interview with 3news.com‘s Yaw Ofosu Larbi.
Though he chooses to look on the bright side, dreams have been postponed, stress levels have gone up and it has all been met with an air of disappointment for some athletes but Ampomah is adamant that it was the right decision to make.
“I think the Olympic Games is about friendship, coming together, celebrating each other and experiencing other cultures and I think the virus was not going to allow us to have that kind of great time. It may have disrupted things but I think it was the right call.”
It may be a big dent on the sporting calendar and one that could potentially change how things are done in the next few years but the pros far outweigh the cons, thereby making it a very good decision to postpone.
The Olympics Games return next year in Tokyo, Japan.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana