Many big events in the media and entertainment and sports space are either being moved to new dates or are being cancelled due to the outbreak.
The coronavirus scare is escalating in India and across the globe. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a pandemic due to its rapid spread.
The latest case is that of Hollywood actor Tom Hanks, who tweeted on March 12 that he and his wife had tested positive for coronavirus.
As more cases are being reported, fear of the virus is resulting in cancellations and change in schedules of many big events in India and abroad.
The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA), which was going to be held in March in Bhopal, has been postponed due to coronavirus. The event over the years has seen strong attendance.
According to data by Statista, between 2010 to 2014, IIFA saw maximum attendance in 2011 with 56,000 people attending the event in Canada. In 2010, IIFA saw 20,000 visitors in Sri Lanka. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, IIFA saw 30,000, 35,000 and 30,000 people taking part in the event respectively.
FICCI FRAMES, which is Asia’s largest annual global convention on the business of media and entertainment, has been postponed. The 2020 edition of FRAMES, scheduled for March 18-20, expected to see around 2,000 Indians attending the event as well as 800 foreign delegates.
The eighth edition of Innovation for India Awards is also postponed. It is India’s oldest and largest innovation-focused awards. It is also considered a platform for showcasing the next big ideas for start-ups and an inspiring learning platform for attendees.
The sports calendar for this year has also gone haywire due to the outbreak.
National Basketball Association (NBA) has suspended its season after a player tested positive for corona.
United World Wrestling (UWW) has postponed the Olympic Qualifiers. The European Qualifier for the 2020 Olympics have been rescheduled from March 19 to 22 to mid-May.
Even IBA (International Basketball Federation) 3x3 basketball Olympic qualifying tournament has been postponed, scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from March 18 to 22.
It is not qualifying games that are being rescheduled. In fact, there is fear that Olympics 2020 will either be postponed or cancelled. And this will be a big blow to Japan’s economy.
According to SMBC Nikko Securities Inc, which operates as a securities agency, the Tokyo Games is estimated to generate $6.4 billion in consumer demand and the nation may lose as much as $74.1 billion.
Coronavirus is not only impacting Olympics but many other sports events that will not see light of the day due to the outbreak.
The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) has decided to put on hold all national and state championships till April 15. PCI was scheduled to host two championships. The national para-athletics championship in Mysore, which was scheduled from March 26 to 28, and national swimming championship from March 28-20 in Bengaluru are now on hold.
Indian Open golf tournament has been rescheduled due to the outbreak and will not take place from March 19-22 at the DLF Golf and Country Club.
Bangladesh Cricket Board has postponed the Mujib 100 T20 Cup.
The Indian women’s Hockey tour of China between March 14-25 stands canceled.
India’s Fed Cup playoff against Latvia has been moved to another date which is yet to be announced.
Some sports events are being organized behind closed doors due to the outbreak.
The matches of the Road Safety World Series, featuring sports stars like Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, will now be held behind closed doors in Maharashtra.
Similarly, the Badminton Association of India which has announced that matches are on schedule may organize the game behind closed doors with no spectators.
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