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Tough times for sports events around globe

3 minute read

The world's major sporting events continue to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

HOW THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC IS HURTING WORLD SPORT

MELBOURNE CUP

* One of the world's biggest and most glamorous horse races, the Melbourne Cup, will be crowd-free this year with even connections unable to attend Tuesday's event.

MCG BOXING DAY TEST

* With close to 100,000 fans clicking through the MCG turnstiles for the traditional Boxing Day Test, only 25,000, with the hope of slightly more, will be allowed this year.

NFL SUPERBOWL

* The NFL is exploring the possibility of reducing seating capacity to 20 per cent at February's Super Bowl in Tampa. The Raymond James Stadium, which was expected to have a capacity crowd of close to 75,000 for the February 7 NFL championship game, will instead host between 13,000 to 15,000 fans.

BOSTON MARATHON

* The 2021 Boston Marathon won't be run in April, with organisers postponing the race for a second straight year. Organisers have conceded the state would not have sufficiently emerged from the pandemic to allow as many as 30,000 runners and a half-million fans gather on the streets from Hopkinton to Copley Square in the spring. The 2020 race was cancelled after initially being postponed.

MASTERS

* The Masters was postponed from its traditional April slot in Augusta to November, but the famous golf championship will go ahead without any fans. The popular Par 3 contest, which sees players mingle with their families on the greens, normally attracts thousands of fans but has been cancelled this year.

EMILIA ROMAGNA FORMULA ONE GRAND PRIX

* Sunday's Formula One Grand Prix at Imola will now take place behind closed doors. Originally, 13,147 spectators were planned for the return to Imola for the first time in 14 years as the race was added to the revamped calendar.

ENGLISH SUPER LEAGUE

* The UK rugby league season threatens to descend into chaos with two matches scheduled for Friday cancelled. Huddersfield's clash with Castleford was called off after the Tigers reported 12 positive coronavirus cases while Salford's match with Warrington won't go ahead after the Red Devils informed the authorities they had only 13 players available for selection.

BUNDESLIGA

* Fans will be banned from Bundesliga matches throughout November in a bid to slow Germany's soaring coronavirus infection rate. The country was the first to let a restricted number of spectators back to matches.

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