Malaysia’s sporting world brace for lengthy hiatus as Covid-19 wreaks havoc on seasons
Thursday, 09 Apr 2020 06:15 AM MYTNorza said the earliest for events or fans might return was the last quarter of this year. — Bernama pic
“Social distancing is the crux of the plan, and that will definitely be in effect, because we can’t eliminate the virus until we have a vaccine or cure. Former national hockey player-turned-coach K. Dharmaraj felt the same as Norza, adding that paranoia and fear of the unknown would weigh on attendance at sporting events.
“In all honestly I’m looking at the end of the year, maybe November or December before people start coming back to watch matches and by that time I wonder it the teams are ready to play as they haven’t been training,” added Dharmaraj, who is currently the coach for Indonesia's West Java province. “The problem, however, is the athletes may not be prepared as no one has been able to train properly since the outbreak.
Football Association of Malaysia secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam said many hardcore fans likely cannot wait to watch their favourite teams in action, but believed not even this group would return in the same numbers as before.“There’s still the issue of going back to school, mosques and work which will make most people cautious. Which is why I feel in the early phase it’ll be slow, but once the government provides clarity that the situation is clear they’ll come back.
Its chief executive Datuk Abdul Ghani Hassan said it has prepared several alternatives to continue the 2020 season domestic football calendar if the MCO ends on April 14. The new format will be shared if and when the government announces it. “Fifa have provided some guidance on how contracts can be renegotiated which I hope the clubs and players look at,” he added, referring to the world football federation.
While outdoor or mainstream sports struggle and have no way of knowing how to get their fans back to the stadiums and halls, e-sports enthusiasts may have it easier due to a unique set of circumstances.
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