<p>Formula One's Australian and Chinese Grands Prix joined the list of events cancelled or postponed on Tuesday as the coronavirus pandemic hit the world of sport once more.</p>

<p>AFP Sport looks at the events impacted by Covid-19 months before the already re-scheduled Olympic Games and European football championships are due to take place:</p>

<h2>Formula One</h2>

<p>-- The season-opening Melbourne Grand Prix was delayed from March to November on Tuesday but no new date was given for Shanghai. The record, 23-race campaign will now begin in Bahrain on March 28, a week later than the originally scheduled start.</p>

<h2>Rugby Union</h2>

<p>-- On Monday, the European Champions and Challenge Cups were put on hold after the French government said the Covid-19 variant in Britain made it too risky for Top 14 sides to face clubs from the United Kingdom. There are now concerns about the Six Nations tournament, which is scheduled to start on February 6.</p>

<h2>Premier League</h2>

<p>-- Five matches in English football's top division have been postponed in the last two months due to coronavirus outbreaks among squads.</p>

<p>The Premier League said on Monday 36 players and staff tested positive for coronavirus over the past week, a slight fall from the record number of 40 cases in the previous seven days.</p>

<p>Last week, Newcastle coach Steve Bruce -- who has experienced with an coronavirus outbreak in his squad -- became the first Premier League boss to question the morality of football continuing if players and staff are being put at risk.</p>

<h2>Tennis</h2>

<p>-- Preparations for the Australian Open in Melbourne have been badly disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak, with the tournament's start date pushed back three weeks to February 8.</p>

<p>Players face the threat of sanctions including hefty fines, spending additional time in quarantine or deportation, if they breach stringent Covid-19 protocols when they arrive this week for the year's first Grand Slam.</p>

<h2>NBA/NFL/NHL</h2>

<p>-- The 2020-21 season is only three weeks old but the NBA has already experienced dozens of cases among squads and coaching staffs and matches have been postponed. The last season was completed by gathering together all the teams still in contention in a 'bubble' in Florida. This season teams are playing in their own arenas.</p>

<p>-- The NFL season has reached the playoffs after a regular season punctuated by the closure of training facilities at some franchises and a raft of positive tests for Covid-19.&nbsp;</p>

<p>-- The NHL season has been reduced from 82 games per franchise to 56 and is scheduled to run until May 8 in home arenas with playoffs to follow into July, bringing hope of returning to a normal October start for the 2021-22 season. All seven Canadian outfits are in their own division with new eight-team breakdowns in three US-only divisions.</p>

<h2>Worries surround the Olympics</h2>

<p>-- On Tuesday, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto dismissed a Japanese media report claiming the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 organisers would debate the fate of the Games in February as "fake news". The Games, already pushed back a year, are due to start on&nbsp;July 23.</p>

<h2>Skiing</h2>

<p>-- The prestigious World Cup event at Wengen in Switzerland, scheduled for this weekend, was called off due to increasing Covid-19 cases in the local area.</p>


Formula One's Australian and Chinese Grands Prix joined the list of events cancelled or postponed on Tuesday as the coronavirus pandemic hit the world of sport once more.

Formula One's Australian and Chinese Grands Prix joined the list of events cancelled or postponed on Tuesday as the coronavirus pandemic hit the world of sport once more. AFP Sport looks at the events impacted by Covid-19 months before the already re-scheduled Olympic Games and European football championships are due to take place: Formula One -- The season-opening Melbourne Grand Prix was delayed from March to November on Tuesday but no new date was given for Shanghai. The record, 23-race campaign will now begin in Bahrain on March 28, a week later than the originally scheduled start. Rugby Union -- On Monday, the European Champions and Challenge Cups were put on hold after the French government said the Covid-19 variant in Britain made it too risky for Top 14 sides to face clubs from the United Kingdom. There are now concerns about the Six Nations tournament, which is scheduled to start on February 6. Premier League -- Five matches in English football's top division have been postponed in the last two months due to coronavirus outbreaks among squads. The Premier League said on Monday 36 players and staff tested positive for coronavirus over the past week, a slight fall from the record number of 40 cases in the previous seven days. Last week, Newcastle coach Steve Bruce -- who has experienced with an coronavirus outbreak in his squad -- became the first Premier League boss to question the morality of football continuing if players and staff are being put at risk. Tennis -- Preparations for the Australian Open in Melbourne have been badly disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak, with the tournament's start date pushed back three weeks to February 8. Players face the threat of sanctions including hefty fines, spending additional time in quarantine or deportation, if they breach stringent Covid-19 protocols when they arrive this week for the year's first Grand Slam. NBA/NFL/NHL -- The 2020-21 season is only three weeks old but the NBA has already experienced dozens of cases among squads and coaching staffs and matches have been postponed. The last season was completed by gathering together all the teams still in contention in a 'bubble' in Florida. This season teams are playing in their own arenas. -- The NFL season has reached the playoffs after a regular season punctuated by the closure of training facilities at some franchises and a raft of positive tests for Covid-19. -- The NHL season has been reduced from 82 games per franchise to 56 and is scheduled to run until May 8 in home arenas with playoffs to follow into July, bringing hope of returning to a normal October start for the 2021-22 season. All seven Canadian outfits are in their own division with new eight-team breakdowns in three US-only divisions. Worries surround the Olympics -- On Tuesday, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto dismissed a Japanese media report claiming the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 organisers would debate the fate of the Games in February as "fake news". The Games, already pushed back a year, are due to start on July 23. Skiing -- The prestigious World Cup event at Wengen in Switzerland, scheduled for this weekend, was called off due to increasing Covid-19 cases in the local area.

How Covid-19 has hit global sport again

From saliva ban to red cards for coughing: Changes brought by COVID-19 in the world of sports

<p>Kolkata's legendary Eden Gardens&nbsp;cricket stadium is to be used as a quarantine centre for Indian police who have the coronavirus, officials said Saturday.</p>

<p>With the city's hospitals under growing pressure, hundreds of beds are to be set up in the 80,000 capacity stadium that was used for the 1987 World Cup final.</p>

<p>Nearly 550 Kolkata police have tested positive for the coronavirus and two have died.</p>

<p>"It is our duty to help and support the administration in this hour of crisis. The quarantine facility will be used for police personnel who are COVID-19 warriors," said Cricket Association of Bengal president Avishek Dalmiya.</p>

<p>The beds will be put in galleries around the seating and not on the pitch that was last used by India for a day-night Test against Bangladesh last November.</p>

<p>"Such areas would be thoroughly segregated as a safety measure," added Dalmiya.</p>

<p>The stadium is also used by the Kolkata Knight Riders Indian Premier League side but this year's tournament has been repeatedly postponed because of the pandemic.</p>

<p>India's nationwide coronavirus toll rose Saturday to 820,916 cases with 22,193 deaths</p>


Kolkata's legendary Eden Gardens cricket stadium is to be used as a quarantine centre for Indian police who have the coronavirus, officials said Saturday. With the city's hospitals under growing pressure, hundreds of beds are to be set up in the 80,000 capacity stadium that was used for the 1987 World Cup final.

Kolkata's legendary Eden Gardens cricket stadium is to be used as a quarantine centre for Indian police who have the coronavirus, officials said Saturday. With the city's hospitals under growing pressure, hundreds of beds are to be set up in the 80,000 capacity stadium that was used for the 1987 World Cup final. Nearly 550 Kolkata police have tested positive for the coronavirus and two have died. "It is our duty to help and support the administration in this hour of crisis. The quarantine facility will be used for police personnel who are COVID-19 warriors," said Cricket Association of Bengal president Avishek Dalmiya. The beds will be put in galleries around the seating and not on the pitch that was last used by India for a day-night Test against Bangladesh last November. "Such areas would be thoroughly segregated as a safety measure," added Dalmiya. The stadium is also used by the Kolkata Knight Riders Indian Premier League side but this year's tournament has been repeatedly postponed because of the pandemic. India's nationwide coronavirus toll rose Saturday to 820,916 cases with 22,193 deaths

Famed India cricket stadium to be used for coronavirus quarantine

<p>With the world of sport coming to a grinding halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sportspersons, who otherwise would have been on the road because of their busy schedule, have been restricted to train indoors. Almost the entire world is under lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus which has led to&nbsp;149 deaths with over 5.000 positive cases in India. Events like the Tokyo Olympics, Wimbledon, EURO among others have been either postponed or cancelled given the current scenario surrounding the deadly virus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In an exclusive interview with WION’s Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo, 23-time World Champion Pankaj Advani spoke on the situation surrounding COVID-19, finding new perspective during tough times, how he is spending his time in lockdown, why people need to be more sensible and sensitive in these times and much more.</p>

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<p><strong>Digvijay Singh Deo: </strong>Pankaj, thanks for taking out time for this. When I called you last evening you were playing a board game with your brother Shree. So that’s the lockdown mantra for you...</p>

<p><strong>Pankaj:</strong> Absolutely, this is the time which we can use to bond with the family. Since we have to stay indoors, we are getting to do those things which we otherwise wouldn't do because we're so busy in the rat race. So we can spend some quality time with the family and indulge ourselves in board games, movies and books, something we probably miss out on a daily basis when life is normal.</p>

<p>My niece is winning the board game battle, kids these days are really smart and you have to hand it to them. It's good to lose sometimes and win in the real world where it really matters.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-was-devastated-to-hear-about-wimbledon-cancellation-rohan-bopanna-opens-up-on-fate-of-tennis-season-relief-package-for-players-and-more-291185" hreflang="en">Exclusive: 'Was devastated to hear about Wimbledon cancellation' - Rohan Bopanna opens up on fate of tennis season, relief package for players and more</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>DSD:</strong> I have been speaking to a lot of Indian sportspersons during the lockdown. These are unprecedented times with the global sporting calendar wiped out. Everything is shut and perhaps it is in this absence that we learn to appreciate why we love sports so much...</p>

<p><strong>Pankaj: </strong>This lockdown has given us a lot of perspectives. We are now truly appreciating the things that we take for granted, not just in sport, but life in general. We now understand the value of household chores, something which we conveniently tried to avoid in the past. There is a newfound respect for our house help and other family members. We also have to lend a helping hand now and ensure that we do our duty. We must respect and understand the kind of effort our house help and family members put in to make our lives comfortable.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When it comes to the world of sport, of course, we are missing the action and we will it value it even more once it returns. But at the moment it is very uncertain when competitive sport will return, it could be 6 months or even a year before we see any action. However I feel that we're fighting something that is bigger than sport, so each and every person has to contribute in some way to defeat the coronavirus.</p>

<p><img alt="Exclusive | Pankaj Advani in conversation with WION" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9c061c8a-befd-4220-a377-918c875c7134" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_Del225666.jpg" /></p>

<p><strong>DSD:</strong> Look at it, it's not just the iconic events such as the Monaco GP, Wimbledon and the Olympics that have been cancelled. Your sport too has seen cancellations...</p>

<p><strong>Pankaj: </strong>In terms of cue sports, we had the Asian Snooker Championships and team events slated for the first half of April, which was obviously cancelled. It is unfortunate that so many major events like Wimbledon or the Olympics are being cancelled or pushed back. But as I mentioned, it is understandable given the current scenario and we will get another chance to compete in the future.</p>

<p>In sport, the worst that can happen in sport is that you lose, but you will always get another chance unless you're retiring. But there are no second chances in life and we are fighting for survival. Our priorities have to be health and safety at the moment. If we don't take this virus seriously, we may not even get the chance to witness or compete in sporting events in the future.</p>

<p>So must fight this virus together as a community and get through this crisis as quickly as possible.</p>

<p><strong>DSD:</strong> I spoke to boxing legend Mary Kom the other day, and even she said that there are more important things right now than a sport...</p>

<p><strong>Pankaj:</strong> Absolutely. It gives us so much perspective, this time that we have to ourselves, it makes us understand the most important things in life. In India, we have a famous saying ' roti, kapda, makaan’, and that holds true now. All we really need is food, shelter and clothing.</p>

<p>It might be a very simplistic approach to life at the moment, but maybe this was also part of nature's plan. At some point the correction had to be made, the unfortunate thing is that so many deaths are taking place and so many people are suffering all the world. My heartfelt condolences to all those families who are going through these times.</p>

<p>But a lot of important lessons can be learned from this ongoing crisis, to appreciate what we have and also to adapt as humans, because in some way this is the new normal now. Nobody would have thought that we would spend weeks or months in the confines of our four walls. But this situation has taught us some very important lessons and I think we have become better human beings.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ :&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-we-are-all-in-it-together-mary-kom-opens-up-on-covid-19-pandemic-olympic-gold-dream-life-in-lockdown-and-more-290909">Exclusive: 'We are all in it together' - Mary Kom opens up on COVID-19 pandemic, Olympic gold dream, life in lockdown and more</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>DSD:</strong> The virus has taught us that there is a way to stay indoors and limit yourself, it has sort of hit a reset button for all of us. And also reminded us of the importance of constant adaptation...</p>

<p><strong>Pankaj: </strong>It is time to introspect and look within ourselves rather than always chasing external or material goals. We must also reflect on the tough times that we are going through right now. We as athletes must contribute in any which way we can. I'm also fortunate that I am in a position to contribute in whatever way I can to those in need.</p>

<p>The real heroes in these times are the doctors, nurses, the support staff and police, who have been putting their health at risk to protect others. My heartfelt gratitude to all those people who are on the front-line battling the virus to save our lives.</p>

<p><img alt="Exclusive | Pankaj Advani in conversation with WION" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ea1d67e9-b0bf-495e-aaa3-b83b63b6e8f0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_Del225668.jpg" /></p>

<p><strong>DSD:</strong> Lots of videos emerging of animals reclaiming what was once theirs, really is fascinating to see them roam around without a fear in towns next to forests...like those disaster movies we see...</p>

<p><strong>Pankaj:</strong> It's been such a massive change for all of us. It may be a message from nature to all humans to pause, reflect and make a change. It is great to see animals reclaiming their spaces, you see dolphins in Venice or even off the coast in Mumbai. It's great to see peacocks roaming around, the environment has become much purer and clean. Despite the crisis, there have been mostly positive vibes around the world. I think we have interfered with nature too much and as a result of meddling with the natural environment and order, we are paying the price.<br />
It is unfortunate but it probably had to happen, a lot of astrologers predicted this. But now the focus is to get back on our feet and learn our lessons from this massive crisis. We as humans must learn to live with other species and not disturb their natural order.</p>

<p><strong>DSD: </strong>But as society punks, are we disciplined. Misbehaving with doctors, candlelight marches despite calls to stay at home. Governments, doctors, healthcare, police ...people are putting lives at risk to keep the country running but not everyone gets the gravity of the situation...</p>

<p><strong>Pankaj</strong>: I think a lot of us need to understand the consequences of us not following the government guidelines. It was only last night, that I saw a video posted by Salman Khan, where he was saying that he was scared of the virus, but he also added that it was probably a good thing, because the more we are afraid of the disease, the more precautions we will take to not get infected.<br />
The rate at which the virus spreads is exponential, so it is not just about getting saving yourself from getting infected, it's about ensuring that the community at large is protected. We also have to rise above our petty differences, we must not discriminate on the basis of religion, caste, class or race. It doesn't matter if you’re black or white, rich or poor, this virus can get anyone, even if you're the prime minister of a country, you can contract the virus, and we have seen examples of it with Boris Johnson falling ill.</p>

<p>The virus in a way is a great leveller, everyone has to take precautions against it, regardless of your status in society. As responsible citizens of not only our country but the world, we have to ensure that we cause as little harm as possible to humanity, we also have to look out and take care of our fellow humans and even animals, because they too are getting affected by the virus.</p>

<p><strong>DSD:</strong>&nbsp;I have friends who do not go out to buy groceries because they are from the northeast and there are racial taunts coming their way. That’s the sad bit isn’t it even Jwala Gutta spoke about the same and sometimes situations like these bring out the worst in people...</p>

<p><strong>Pankaj:</strong> It is so unfortunate that these incidents are taking place. We have to understand the fact that we are fighting a much bigger enemy, if we do that then we will not get into these petty and irrelevant arguments and we'll stop holding each other responsible for the spread of the virus.<br />
It is sad that people are still not following the government's guidelines, we have seen so many religious meetings take place, even seeing people bursting crackers the other day was unfortunate. I would appeal to the public to maintain physical distancing, the reason I don't call it social distancing is because we can still be connected through technology. We are actually fighting this together, but the irony is we are doing so being away from each other. The more physically apart we are from each other, the more chances we have of winning this battle.</p>

<p><img alt="Exclusive | Pankaj Advani in conversation with WION" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2268c033-bdea-4a54-8ac0-c7fa8a536922" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_DV132057.jpg" /></p>

<p><strong>DSD: </strong>How important is the role of prominent sportspersons like you in times like these?</p>

<p><strong>Pankaj:</strong>&nbsp;Sport is all about following the rules and exercising fair play. Sportsmanship is about competing on the same platform, and being fair to each individual. People tend to look up to sportspersons because we follow the rules very strictly and are extremely disciplined. So as athletes we can urge the public to strictly adhere to the guidelines set by the government and the world health organisation. So not only athletes, any influential person has a responsibility to spread positive messages during the lockdown, so that we get through this as quickly as possible.</p>

<p><strong>DSD:</strong> If I could use the word, you are a slave to practice. That’s one of the reasons for your success. I spoke to Mary Kom and she said that even at 37 what keeps her going against the much younger opponents is her training regime. No holding back during training sessions. But since you don't have a billiards table at home, how do you plan to overcome this problem?</p>

<p><strong>Pankaj:</strong> So you know how the saying goes - 'stay home, say safe', the rule for me is to 'stay home and play safe'. For me not playing at all during this period is staying safe. To be honest every athlete is going to be so rusty when he or she gets back to competing. The lack of training and staying indoors will obviously hugely affect performance. I don't even know if any international competition will take place this year. Even in my sport, I’m not sure what will happen, the only silver lining is that I will get to be defending world champion for another year if there are no more tournaments.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On a serious note, every athlete is going to come into the arena with a more grateful approach, and every athlete has to accept and adapt to the situation. So when we get back I think we might see a fairer dignified approach towards sport, which means that people might not resort to unethical means while competing to win. But as I said before right now there are much bigger things to fight against. I do believe that we will come out of this stronger as human beings and this will make us better individuals, ultimately humanity will win. We must support one another and I appeal to everyone to stay home, stay safe and save lives.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


With the world of sport coming to a grinding halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sportspersons, who otherwise would have been on the road because of their busy schedule, have been restricted to train indoors.

With the world of sport coming to a grinding halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sportspersons, who otherwise would have been on the road because of their busy schedule, have been restricted to train indoors. Almost the entire world is under lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus which has led to 149 deaths with over 5.000 positive cases in India. Events like the Tokyo Olympics, Wimbledon, EURO among others have been either postponed or cancelled given the current scenario surrounding the deadly virus. In an exclusive interview with WION’s Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo, 23-time World Champion Pankaj Advani spoke on the situation surrounding COVID-19, finding new perspective during tough times, how he is spending his time in lockdown, why people need to be more sensible and sensitive in these times and much more. × Digvijay Singh Deo: Pankaj, thanks for taking out time for this. When I called you last evening you were playing a board game with your brother Shree. So that’s the lockdown mantra for you... Pankaj: Absolutely, this is the time which we can use to bond with the family. Since we have to stay indoors, we are getting to do those things which we otherwise wouldn't do because we're so busy in the rat race. So we can spend some quality time with the family and indulge ourselves in board games, movies and books, something we probably miss out on a daily basis when life is normal. My niece is winning the board game battle, kids these days are really smart and you have to hand it to them. It's good to lose sometimes and win in the real world where it really matters. ALSO READ: Exclusive: 'Was devastated to hear about Wimbledon cancellation' - Rohan Bopanna opens up on fate of tennis season, relief package for players and more DSD: I have been speaking to a lot of Indian sportspersons during the lockdown. These are unprecedented times with the global sporting calendar wiped out. Everything is shut and perhaps it is in this absence that we learn to appreciate why we love sports so much... Pankaj: This lockdown has given us a lot of perspectives. We are now truly appreciating the things that we take for granted, not just in sport, but life in general. We now understand the value of household chores, something which we conveniently tried to avoid in the past. There is a newfound respect for our house help and other family members. We also have to lend a helping hand now and ensure that we do our duty. We must respect and understand the kind of effort our house help and family members put in to make our lives comfortable. When it comes to the world of sport, of course, we are missing the action and we will it value it even more once it returns. But at the moment it is very uncertain when competitive sport will return, it could be 6 months or even a year before we see any action. However I feel that we're fighting something that is bigger than sport, so each and every person has to contribute in some way to defeat the coronavirus. DSD: Look at it, it's not just the iconic events such as the Monaco GP, Wimbledon and the Olympics that have been cancelled. Your sport too has seen cancellations... Pankaj: In terms of cue sports, we had the Asian Snooker Championships and team events slated for the first half of April, which was obviously cancelled. It is unfortunate that so many major events like Wimbledon or the Olympics are being cancelled or pushed back. But as I mentioned, it is understandable given the current scenario and we will get another chance to compete in the future. In sport, the worst that can happen in sport is that you lose, but you will always get another chance unless you're retiring. But there are no second chances in life and we are fighting for survival. Our priorities have to be health and safety at the moment. If we don't take this virus seriously, we may not even get the chance to witness or compete in sporting events in the future. So must fight this virus together as a community and get through this crisis as quickly as possible. DSD: I spoke to boxing legend Mary Kom the other day, and even she said that there are more important things right now than a sport... Pankaj: Absolutely. It gives us so much perspective, this time that we have to ourselves, it makes us understand the most important things in life. In India, we have a famous saying ' roti, kapda, makaan’, and that holds true now. All we really need is food, shelter and clothing. It might be a very simplistic approach to life at the moment, but maybe this was also part of nature's plan. At some point the correction had to be made, the unfortunate thing is that so many deaths are taking place and so many people are suffering all the world. My heartfelt condolences to all those families who are going through these times. But a lot of important lessons can be learned from this ongoing crisis, to appreciate what we have and also to adapt as humans, because in some way this is the new normal now. Nobody would have thought that we would spend weeks or months in the confines of our four walls. But this situation has taught us some very important lessons and I think we have become better human beings. ALSO READ : Exclusive: 'We are all in it together' - Mary Kom opens up on COVID-19 pandemic, Olympic gold dream, life in lockdown and more DSD: The virus has taught us that there is a way to stay indoors and limit yourself, it has sort of hit a reset button for all of us. And also reminded us of the importance of constant adaptation... Pankaj: It is time to introspect and look within ourselves rather than always chasing external or material goals. We must also reflect on the tough times that we are going through right now. We as athletes must contribute in any which way we can. I'm also fortunate that I am in a position to contribute in whatever way I can to those in need. The real heroes in these times are the doctors, nurses, the support staff and police, who have been putting their health at risk to protect others. My heartfelt gratitude to all those people who are on the front-line battling the virus to save our lives. DSD: Lots of videos emerging of animals reclaiming what was once theirs, really is fascinating to see them roam around without a fear in towns next to forests...like those disaster movies we see... Pankaj: It's been such a massive change for all of us. It may be a message from nature to all humans to pause, reflect and make a change. It is great to see animals reclaiming their spaces, you see dolphins in Venice or even off the coast in Mumbai. It's great to see peacocks roaming around, the environment has become much purer and clean. Despite the crisis, there have been mostly positive vibes around the world. I think we have interfered with nature too much and as a result of meddling with the natural environment and order, we are paying the price. It is unfortunate but it probably had to happen, a lot of astrologers predicted this. But now the focus is to get back on our feet and learn our lessons from this massive crisis. We as humans must learn to live with other species and not disturb their natural order. DSD: But as society punks, are we disciplined. Misbehaving with doctors, candlelight marches despite calls to stay at home. Governments, doctors, healthcare, police ...people are putting lives at risk to keep the country running but not everyone gets the gravity of the situation... Pankaj: I think a lot of us need to understand the consequences of us not following the government guidelines. It was only last night, that I saw a video posted by Salman Khan, where he was saying that he was scared of the virus, but he also added that it was probably a good thing, because the more we are afraid of the disease, the more precautions we will take to not get infected. The rate at which the virus spreads is exponential, so it is not just about getting saving yourself from getting infected, it's about ensuring that the community at large is protected. We also have to rise above our petty differences, we must not discriminate on the basis of religion, caste, class or race. It doesn't matter if you’re black or white, rich or poor, this virus can get anyone, even if you're the prime minister of a country, you can contract the virus, and we have seen examples of it with Boris Johnson falling ill. The virus in a way is a great leveller, everyone has to take precautions against it, regardless of your status in society. As responsible citizens of not only our country but the world, we have to ensure that we cause as little harm as possible to humanity, we also have to look out and take care of our fellow humans and even animals, because they too are getting affected by the virus. DSD: I have friends who do not go out to buy groceries because they are from the northeast and there are racial taunts coming their way. That’s the sad bit isn’t it even Jwala Gutta spoke about the same and sometimes situations like these bring out the worst in people... Pankaj: It is so unfortunate that these incidents are taking place. We have to understand the fact that we are fighting a much bigger enemy, if we do that then we will not get into these petty and irrelevant arguments and we'll stop holding each other responsible for the spread of the virus. It is sad that people are still not following the government's guidelines, we have seen so many religious meetings take place, even seeing people bursting crackers the other day was unfortunate. I would appeal to the public to maintain physical distancing, the reason I don't call it social distancing is because we can still be connected through technology. We are actually fighting this together, but the irony is we are doing so being away from each other. The more physically apart we are from each other, the more chances we have of winning this battle. DSD: How important is the role of prominent sportspersons like you in times like these? Pankaj: Sport is all about following the rules and exercising fair play. Sportsmanship is about competing on the same platform, and being fair to each individual. People tend to look up to sportspersons because we follow the rules very strictly and are extremely disciplined. So as athletes we can urge the public to strictly adhere to the guidelines set by the government and the world health organisation. So not only athletes, any influential person has a responsibility to spread positive messages during the lockdown, so that we get through this as quickly as possible. DSD: If I could use the word, you are a slave to practice. That’s one of the reasons for your success. I spoke to Mary Kom and she said that even at 37 what keeps her going against the much younger opponents is her training regime. No holding back during training sessions. But since you don't have a billiards table at home, how do you plan to overcome this problem? Pankaj: So you know how the saying goes - 'stay home, say safe', the rule for me is to 'stay home and play safe'. For me not playing at all during this period is staying safe. To be honest every athlete is going to be so rusty when he or she gets back to competing. The lack of training and staying indoors will obviously hugely affect performance. I don't even know if any international competition will take place this year. Even in my sport, I’m not sure what will happen, the only silver lining is that I will get to be defending world champion for another year if there are no more tournaments. On a serious note, every athlete is going to come into the arena with a more grateful approach, and every athlete has to accept and adapt to the situation. So when we get back I think we might see a fairer dignified approach towards sport, which means that people might not resort to unethical means while competing to win. But as I said before right now there are much bigger things to fight against. I do believe that we will come out of this stronger as human beings and this will make us better individuals, ultimately humanity will win. We must support one another and I appeal to everyone to stay home, stay safe and save lives.

Exclusive: 'It is time to introspect' - Pankaj Advani opens up on COVID-19 situation, lockdown, sporting calendar and more

<p>Sports' big ticket events, the 2020 Olympics, European football championships, Wimbledon and the British Open golf tournament have gone to the wall due to the coronavirus.</p>

<p>However, there are some shoots of recovery as sports worldwide make tentative plans to return to action.</p>

<p>AFP Sport looks at what we know so far with the major events:</p>

<h2>FOOTBALL</h2>

<p>-- English Premier League, which still has 92 games to play, has reconfirmed their commitment to finish the season. But matches would be behind closed doors and reportedly at up to 10 neutral venues. Liverpool are on the brink of a first league title for 30 years with a 25-point lead at the top of the table.</p>

<p>-- Horst Seehofer, the German minister for the interior and sport, said he supports a resumption of the season despite three people testing positive for coronavirus at Bundesliga club Cologne. A resumption would not be possible before May 16. A final decision is expected Wednesday.</p>

<p>-- In Spain, La Liga is reportedly planning to start testing players for the coronavirus between Tuesday and Thursday, after which they would then be able to resume individual training programmes within 48 hours.</p>

<p>-- Italy's footballers can now take part in individual training sessions as the strictest coronavirus lockdown measures begin to ease. But Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will only allow teams to resume organised group activities on May 18.</p>

<p>-- South Korea look certain to have the honour of being the first league back in action. The season will start on May 8 but behind closed doors.</p>

<p>-- In France, Paris Saint-Germain were declared Ligue 1 champions after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced professional sport could not resume before September.&nbsp;</p>

<p>-- The Dutch football federation called an end to their season on April 24.</p>

<h2>CRICKET</h2>

<p>-- The English season will not start until July 1 at the earliest and likely behind closed doors. The new Hundred tournament has been scrapped until 2021. However, England could begin their rescheduled three-Test series against the West Indies on July 8.</p>

<p>The series was originally due to start on June 4 at the Oval. Australia and Pakistan are still due to tour later in the summer.</p>

<p>-- The money-spinning IPL, which should have started on March 29, was postponed but media reports said the BCCI may aim for a tournament in September-October, ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia.</p>

<h2>TENNIS</h2>

<p>-- The ATP and WTA will not resume tournament play until July 13 at the earliest.</p>

<p>-- The French Open at Roland Garros has already been moved to Sept 20-Oct 4 although there are suggestions that it may even be put back by a further week.</p>

<p>-- The United States Tennis Association will decide mid-June whether or not the US Open will take place in New York.</p>

<p>-- Low-key action has returned with an eight-man exhibition competition in the tiny town of Hoehr-Grenzhausen in Germany. The series does not have spectators, ball boys or line judges.</p>

<p>-- Patrick Mouratoglou, the coach of Serena Williams, says he is planning a league of 50 matches at his academy near Nice in the south of France with "millions of US dollars in prize money". It will be broadcast live under the title "Ultimate Tennis Showdown" starting on the weekend of May 16.</p>

<h2>MOTOR SPORT</h2>

<p>-- After 10 races were either cancelled or postponed, Formula One hopes to open its season in Austria with back-to-back races on July 5 and 12.</p>

<p>-- NASCAR in the United States will return on May 17 at Darlington Raceway, the first of four oval races over 11 days.</p>

<p>-- MotoGP, with eight races already off, is scheduled to return on August 9 at Brno in the Czech Republic.</p>

<h2>BASKETBALL</h2>

<p>-- The NBA could complete its season on courts in Las Vegas convention centres. Players and their families, plus other essential personnel, would stay in a quarantined area in MGM hotels along the Las Vegas Strip while practising and competing on courts in the same facilities.</p>

<h2>GOLF</h2>

<p>-- After the cancellation of the British Open, the remaining majors are the PGA Championship from August 6-9 in San Francisco and the rescheduled US Open from Sept 17-20 at Winged Foot, with the Masters, usually played in April, scheduled for November 12-15.</p>

<p>-- The Ryder Cup, at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin from September 25-27, could take place without fans.</p>

<p>-- The USPGA hopes its season can resume at the Charles Schwab Challenge from June 11 in Fort Worth, Texas.</p>

<p>-- The LPGA Tour is due to resume on July 15 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational tournament in Michigan.</p>

<p>-- The European Tour is set to return at the British Masters from July 30.</p>

<h2>CYCLING</h2>

<p>-- The Tour de France has been rescheduled for August 29 from its original June 27 start date.</p>

<p>-- The other Grand Tours, the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana, are set to be raced in the autumn after the world championships.</p>

<h2>ATHLETICS</h2>

<p>-- The Diamond League, which was to have started in Doha on April 17, should now kick off in London on July 4.</p>

<h2>RUGBY</h2>

<p>-- The NRL season in Australia will start on May 28.</p>

<p>-- In union, the French Top 14 was abandoned but, in the southern hemisphere, the Super Rugby season, scheduled to end in June, could be played at same time as the four-nation international Rugby Championship in August and September.</p>


Sports' big ticket events, the 2020 Olympics, European football championships, Wimbledon and the British Open golf tournament have gone to the wall due to the coronavirus.

Sports' big ticket events, the 2020 Olympics, European football championships, Wimbledon and the British Open golf tournament have gone to the wall due to the coronavirus. However, there are some shoots of recovery as sports worldwide make tentative plans to return to action. AFP Sport looks at what we know so far with the major events: FOOTBALL -- English Premier League, which still has 92 games to play, has reconfirmed their commitment to finish the season. But matches would be behind closed doors and reportedly at up to 10 neutral venues. Liverpool are on the brink of a first league title for 30 years with a 25-point lead at the top of the table. -- Horst Seehofer, the German minister for the interior and sport, said he supports a resumption of the season despite three people testing positive for coronavirus at Bundesliga club Cologne. A resumption would not be possible before May 16. A final decision is expected Wednesday. -- In Spain, La Liga is reportedly planning to start testing players for the coronavirus between Tuesday and Thursday, after which they would then be able to resume individual training programmes within 48 hours. -- Italy's footballers can now take part in individual training sessions as the strictest coronavirus lockdown measures begin to ease. But Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will only allow teams to resume organised group activities on May 18. -- South Korea look certain to have the honour of being the first league back in action. The season will start on May 8 but behind closed doors. -- In France, Paris Saint-Germain were declared Ligue 1 champions after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced professional sport could not resume before September. -- The Dutch football federation called an end to their season on April 24. CRICKET -- The English season will not start until July 1 at the earliest and likely behind closed doors. The new Hundred tournament has been scrapped until 2021. However, England could begin their rescheduled three-Test series against the West Indies on July 8. The series was originally due to start on June 4 at the Oval. Australia and Pakistan are still due to tour later in the summer. -- The money-spinning IPL, which should have started on March 29, was postponed but media reports said the BCCI may aim for a tournament in September-October, ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia. TENNIS -- The ATP and WTA will not resume tournament play until July 13 at the earliest. -- The French Open at Roland Garros has already been moved to Sept 20-Oct 4 although there are suggestions that it may even be put back by a further week. -- The United States Tennis Association will decide mid-June whether or not the US Open will take place in New York. -- Low-key action has returned with an eight-man exhibition competition in the tiny town of Hoehr-Grenzhausen in Germany. The series does not have spectators, ball boys or line judges. -- Patrick Mouratoglou, the coach of Serena Williams, says he is planning a league of 50 matches at his academy near Nice in the south of France with "millions of US dollars in prize money". It will be broadcast live under the title "Ultimate Tennis Showdown" starting on the weekend of May 16. MOTOR SPORT -- After 10 races were either cancelled or postponed, Formula One hopes to open its season in Austria with back-to-back races on July 5 and 12. -- NASCAR in the United States will return on May 17 at Darlington Raceway, the first of four oval races over 11 days. -- MotoGP, with eight races already off, is scheduled to return on August 9 at Brno in the Czech Republic. BASKETBALL -- The NBA could complete its season on courts in Las Vegas convention centres. Players and their families, plus other essential personnel, would stay in a quarantined area in MGM hotels along the Las Vegas Strip while practising and competing on courts in the same facilities. GOLF -- After the cancellation of the British Open, the remaining majors are the PGA Championship from August 6-9 in San Francisco and the rescheduled US Open from Sept 17-20 at Winged Foot, with the Masters, usually played in April, scheduled for November 12-15. -- The Ryder Cup, at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin from September 25-27, could take place without fans. -- The USPGA hopes its season can resume at the Charles Schwab Challenge from June 11 in Fort Worth, Texas. -- The LPGA Tour is due to resume on July 15 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational tournament in Michigan. -- The European Tour is set to return at the British Masters from July 30. CYCLING -- The Tour de France has been rescheduled for August 29 from its original June 27 start date. -- The other Grand Tours, the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana, are set to be raced in the autumn after the world championships. ATHLETICS -- The Diamond League, which was to have started in Doha on April 17, should now kick off in London on July 4. RUGBY -- The NRL season in Australia will start on May 28. -- In union, the French Top 14 was abandoned but, in the southern hemisphere, the Super Rugby season, scheduled to end in June, could be played at same time as the four-nation international Rugby Championship in August and September.

When will I see you again? Sport bids to step out of virus shadow

<p>As India navigates through the extended lockdown period amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Indians from all parts of the country are flocking to Twitter to stay connected and share positivity during these tough times. One sentiment is increasingly standing out in Indian sports conversations on Twitter, that is&nbsp;nostalgia. Fans are uniting emotionally in the current times of social distancing, as they revisit the good old days together.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Due to COVID-19, major sports events like the Tokyo Olympics, IPL, Wimbledon, etc. have either been cancelled or postponed. While there is no live on-field action, sports fans in India are taking to Twitter to relive some of the best sporting moments from the past and to celebrate their fondest memories from those games on the service, during the lockdown.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>The unforgettable ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 finale</strong></h2>

<p>Amid lockdown, athletes, as well as their fans, have found both joy and togetherness in celebrating the glorious victories of the past, albeit virtually. April 2 holds a special place in the annals of Indian cricket, as on this very day in 2011, Team India won their second Cricket World Cup.</p>

<p>The final match, played against Sri Lanka, at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium was a memorable one that no cricket fan is likely to forget anytime soon. Reminiscing their memories, Indians on Twitter shared pictures and memories of the match, including Gautam Gambhir&nbsp;and captain MS Dhoni's&nbsp;record-breaking partnership of 109 runs, Yuvraj Singh&nbsp;carrying his stellar form into the Final, and of course, that MS Dhoni six that sealed the deal for India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Add to that the team carrying Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulders for a victory lap&nbsp;certainly made the golden moment etched forever in the history of our nation.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Words will never be able to describe what a moment for every Indian it was , this it what we live for !!jai Hind <a href="https://t.co/rsldfWv79E">pic.twitter.com/rsldfWv79E</a></p>
— yuvraj singh (@YUVSTRONG12) <a href="https://twitter.com/YUVSTRONG12/status/1245600714644017152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Things end but memories last forever. Remembering the rush, excitement, thrill of it all, of the fantastic moments leading up to us lifting the world cup. Irreplaceable. Unforgettable. Thankful to have been a part of this iconic moment in the history of cricket. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/worldcup2011?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#worldcup2011</a> <a href="https://t.co/qIISLuzS0k">pic.twitter.com/qIISLuzS0k</a></p>
— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRaina/status/1245572747033337858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">World Cup winner 2011.what a great day it was for Whole India .proud moment <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Grateful?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Grateful</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shukarhaiterarabba?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#shukarhaiterarabba</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sachin_rt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sachin_rt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/YUVSTRONG12?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YUVSTRONG12</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ImZaheer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImZaheer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GautamGambhir?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GautamGambhir</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/virendersehwag?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@virendersehwag</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRaina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRaina</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/iamyusufpathan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamyusufpathan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/munaf?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#munaf</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nehraji?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nehraji</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sreesanth36?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sreesanth36</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Gary_Kirsten?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Gary_Kirsten</a> <a href="https://t.co/aDD8VMzFEq">pic.twitter.com/aDD8VMzFEq</a></p>
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) <a href="https://twitter.com/harbhajan_singh/status/1245624932232388611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Yuviiiiii <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldCupHero?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldCupHero</a> <a href="https://t.co/GoGugVGuNz">pic.twitter.com/GoGugVGuNz</a></p>
— Rajkumar YUVI VJ (@SRKRAJKUMAR12) <a href="https://twitter.com/SRKRAJKUMAR12/status/1245614518253699075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sachin - 482 Runs<br />
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Gambhir - 393 Runs<br />
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Virendra sehwag - 380 Runs<br />
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Yuvi - 362 Runs &amp; 15 Wickets &amp; Man Of Series<br />
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Zaheer Khan - 21 Wickets<br />
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They are all the main reason for india Win Worldcup 2011 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9YearsOf2011WC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9YearsOf2011WC</a> <a href="https://t.co/WDXLz9dqM5">pic.twitter.com/WDXLz9dqM5</a></p>
— @Naniprincefollower (@nanissmb27) <a href="https://twitter.com/nanissmb27/status/1245589420205457408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>IPL moments</strong></h2>

<p>India’s biggest T20 cricket tournament, Indian Premier League has been postponed until further notice. While fans are missing the on-field action, they are having a blast from the past with conversations about their favourite IPL moments on Twitter. From reliving Brendon McCullum's smashing 158* in the inaugural edition of IPL to discussing Chris Gayle's whirlwind 175* against Pune Warriors in IPL 2013, fans have been taking a dip into memory lane.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnThisDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnThisDay</a> in 2015,<br />
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Our destructive openers, Dwayne Smith &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/Bazmccullum?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bazmccullum</a> played a blistering innings of 62(30) &amp; 46(20) chasing 184 against Mumbai Indians. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Whistlepodu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Whistlepodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/throwback?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#throwback</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yellove?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yellove</a> <a href="https://t.co/7O7eCisnjN">pic.twitter.com/7O7eCisnjN</a></p>
— Whistle Podu Army ® - CSK Fan Club (@CSKFansOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/CSKFansOfficial/status/1251049589374771200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">18th April, 2008: <a href="https://twitter.com/Bazmccullum?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bazmccullum</a> blazed away to 158*, in the first ever IPL match between KKR and RCB.<br />
<br />
Exactly 12 years later, we get to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ReLive?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ReLive</a> this match, ball by ball. This will also be in Hindi for the 1st time on TV!<br />
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Watch it this Saturday, 8 pm onwards on <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StarSportsIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/46cC3WOgpx">pic.twitter.com/46cC3WOgpx</a></p>
— Pavan Kumar Allada (@pavankumar_apk) <a href="https://twitter.com/pavankumar_apk/status/1250313518093496320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Same day, against the same opponents, different year <a href="https://twitter.com/sandeep25a?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sandeep25a</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/vijayshankar260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vijayshankar260</a> made their debut <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnThisDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnThisDay</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OTD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OTD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OrangeArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OrangeArmy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRH</a> <a href="https://t.co/uYo6k4VQA4">pic.twitter.com/uYo6k4VQA4</a></p>
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) <a href="https://twitter.com/SunRisers/status/1249357839740465152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">7 years ago Chris Gayle produced this monster innings<br />
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175 runs, 66 balls, 17 sixes<br />
<br />
The fastest EVER century <a href="https://t.co/8TRklm8rNS">pic.twitter.com/8TRklm8rNS</a></p>
— The Wrong ‘Un (@wronguncricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/wronguncricket/status/1253230320444473345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>Brian Lara 400*</strong></h2>

<p>16 years ago, legendary West Indies batsman Brian Lara (@BrianLara) recorded the highest-ever Test score by slamming an unbeaten 400 against England at St John's in Antigua. The match ended in a draw, but Lara’s knock continues to live on in the memories of the scores of cricket fans and pundits alike. Needless to say, Indian fans too couldn’t stop talking about it on Twitter.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Onthisday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Onthisday</a> : 2004<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/BrianLara?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrianLara</a> becomes the 1st batsman to score 400 runs in test cricket.<br />
He scored 400* from 582 balls including 43 fours and 4 sixes against England in the 4th test match of the series. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/westindieslegends?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#westindieslegends</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2020</a><br />
<br />
Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/imAkshaytadvi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imAkshaytadvi</a> <a href="https://t.co/9MN90gx2jc">pic.twitter.com/9MN90gx2jc</a></p>
— Akshay Tadvi🇮🇳 (@imAkshaytadvi) <a href="https://twitter.com/imAkshaytadvi/status/1249201064894660609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnThisDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnThisDay</a> in 2004, Brian Lara slammed a record-beating 400* against England in St John's<br />
<br />
It remains the highest-ever individual score in Tests.<br />
<br />
An extraordinary knock by an extraordinary cricketer <a href="https://t.co/eDSj9RzxFq">pic.twitter.com/eDSj9RzxFq</a></p>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1249200581908008961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">On this day in 2004, Brian Lara smashed 400 not out against England to set the record for highest individual score in Test cricket. <a href="https://t.co/LntEfrsWTg">pic.twitter.com/LntEfrsWTg</a></p>
— (@niranjan_69) <a href="https://twitter.com/niranjan_69/status/1249168266058235904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Some more iconic moments</h2>

<p>Not only iconic moments from IPL or record-breaking matches, but players and fans have also been taking to Twitter to relive some of the rare moments in the world of sports, from the past.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">1985 winning team of world Champions trophy in Australia. <a href="https://t.co/BEbC4sJFt0">pic.twitter.com/BEbC4sJFt0</a></p>
— Chetan Sharma (@chetans1987) <a href="https://twitter.com/chetans1987/status/1250800550943379461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnThisDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnThisDay</a> in 1995, India won their fourth Asia Cup title<br />
<br />
They restricted Sri Lanka to 230/7 in the final in Sharjah, and chased it down with eight wickets to spare <a href="https://t.co/8HAWZqmcH0">pic.twitter.com/8HAWZqmcH0</a></p>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1249902709500715009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">How did you produce that, <a href="https://twitter.com/DaleSteyn62?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DaleSteyn62</a>? What a magician this guy was with the ball!! Also kudos to Ian Gould for terrific umpiring. <a href="https://t.co/e4LGsRiP59">pic.twitter.com/e4LGsRiP59</a></p>
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) <a href="https://twitter.com/mufaddal_vohra/status/1250690750976794624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The very first Test match delivery was bowled <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnThisDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnThisDay</a> in 1877, between Australia and England, in Melbourne.<br />
<br />
What’s your favourite Test Match memory of all time? Tell us <a href="https://t.co/f4mpin6Wxc">pic.twitter.com/f4mpin6Wxc</a></p>
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1239106486963277824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>With no live cricket action, social media platforms have come to the rescue for fans and players to keep themselves engaged. Twitter has not only witnessed ardent lovers of the gentlemen's game reliving some of the matches and moments from past but has also seen players connecting to their fans and followers even more.&nbsp;</p>


As India navigates through the extended lockdown period amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Indians from all parts of the country are flocking to Twitter to stay connected and share positivity during these tough times.

As India navigates through the extended lockdown period amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Indians from all parts of the country are flocking to Twitter to stay connected and share positivity during these tough times. One sentiment is increasingly standing out in Indian sports conversations on Twitter, that is nostalgia. Fans are uniting emotionally in the current times of social distancing, as they revisit the good old days together. Due to COVID-19, major sports events like the Tokyo Olympics, IPL, Wimbledon, etc. have either been cancelled or postponed. While there is no live on-field action, sports fans in India are taking to Twitter to relive some of the best sporting moments from the past and to celebrate their fondest memories from those games on the service, during the lockdown. The unforgettable ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 finale Amid lockdown, athletes, as well as their fans, have found both joy and togetherness in celebrating the glorious victories of the past, albeit virtually. April 2 holds a special place in the annals of Indian cricket, as on this very day in 2011, Team India won their second Cricket World Cup. The final match, played against Sri Lanka, at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium was a memorable one that no cricket fan is likely to forget anytime soon. Reminiscing their memories, Indians on Twitter shared pictures and memories of the match, including Gautam Gambhir and captain MS Dhoni's record-breaking partnership of 109 runs, Yuvraj Singh carrying his stellar form into the Final, and of course, that MS Dhoni six that sealed the deal for India. Add to that the team carrying Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulders for a victory lap certainly made the golden moment etched forever in the history of our nation. Words will never be able to describe what a moment for every Indian it was , this it what we live for !!jai Hind pic.twitter.com/rsldfWv79E — yuvraj singh (@YUVSTRONG12) April 2, 2020 × Things end but memories last forever. Remembering the rush, excitement, thrill of it all, of the fantastic moments leading up to us lifting the world cup. Irreplaceable. Unforgettable. Thankful to have been a part of this iconic moment in the history of cricket. #worldcup2011 pic.twitter.com/qIISLuzS0k — Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) April 2, 2020 × World Cup winner 2011.what a great day it was for Whole India .proud moment #Grateful #shukarhaiterarabba @sachin_rt @msdhoni @imVkohli @YUVSTRONG12 @ImZaheer @GautamGambhir @virendersehwag @ImRaina @iamyusufpathan #munaf #nehraji @sreesanth36 @Gary_Kirsten pic.twitter.com/aDD8VMzFEq — Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) April 2, 2020 × Yuviiiiii #WorldCupHero pic.twitter.com/GoGugVGuNz — Rajkumar YUVI VJ (@SRKRAJKUMAR12) April 2, 2020 × Sachin - 482 Runs Gambhir - 393 Runs Virendra sehwag - 380 Runs Yuvi - 362 Runs & 15 Wickets & Man Of Series Zaheer Khan - 21 Wickets They are all the main reason for india Win Worldcup 2011 #9YearsOf2011WC pic.twitter.com/WDXLz9dqM5 — @Naniprincefollower (@nanissmb27) April 2, 2020 × IPL moments India’s biggest T20 cricket tournament, Indian Premier League has been postponed until further notice. While fans are missing the on-field action, they are having a blast from the past with conversations about their favourite IPL moments on Twitter. From reliving Brendon McCullum's smashing 158* in the inaugural edition of IPL to discussing Chris Gayle's whirlwind 175* against Pune Warriors in IPL 2013, fans have been taking a dip into memory lane. #OnThisDay in 2015, Our destructive openers, Dwayne Smith & @Bazmccullum played a blistering innings of 62(30) & 46(20) chasing 184 against Mumbai Indians. #Whistlepodu #throwback #yellove pic.twitter.com/7O7eCisnjN — Whistle Podu Army ® - CSK Fan Club (@CSKFansOfficial) April 17, 2020 × 18th April, 2008: @Bazmccullum blazed away to 158*, in the first ever IPL match between KKR and RCB. Exactly 12 years later, we get to #ReLive this match, ball by ball. This will also be in Hindi for the 1st time on TV! Watch it this Saturday, 8 pm onwards on @StarSportsIndia pic.twitter.com/46cC3WOgpx — Pavan Kumar Allada (@pavankumar_apk) April 15, 2020 × Same day, against the same opponents, different year @sandeep25a & @vijayshankar260 made their debut #OnThisDay!#OTD #OrangeArmy #SRH pic.twitter.com/uYo6k4VQA4 — SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) April 12, 2020 × 7 years ago Chris Gayle produced this monster innings 175 runs, 66 balls, 17 sixes The fastest EVER century pic.twitter.com/8TRklm8rNS — The Wrong ‘Un (@wronguncricket) April 23, 2020 × Brian Lara 400* 16 years ago, legendary West Indies batsman Brian Lara (@BrianLara) recorded the highest-ever Test score by slamming an unbeaten 400 against England at St John's in Antigua. The match ended in a draw, but Lara’s knock continues to live on in the memories of the scores of cricket fans and pundits alike. Needless to say, Indian fans too couldn’t stop talking about it on Twitter. #Onthisday : 2004 @BrianLara becomes the 1st batsman to score 400 runs in test cricket. He scored 400* from 582 balls including 43 fours and 4 sixes against England in the 4th test match of the series. #Cricket #westindieslegends #IPL2020 Follow @imAkshaytadvi pic.twitter.com/9MN90gx2jc — Akshay Tadvi🇮🇳 (@imAkshaytadvi) April 12, 2020 × #OnThisDay in 2004, Brian Lara slammed a record-beating 400* against England in St John's It remains the highest-ever individual score in Tests. An extraordinary knock by an extraordinary cricketer pic.twitter.com/eDSj9RzxFq — ICC (@ICC) April 12, 2020 × On this day in 2004, Brian Lara smashed 400 not out against England to set the record for highest individual score in Test cricket. pic.twitter.com/LntEfrsWTg — (@niranjan_69) April 12, 2020 × Some more iconic moments Not only iconic moments from IPL or record-breaking matches, but players and fans have also been taking to Twitter to relive some of the rare moments in the world of sports, from the past. 1985 winning team of world Champions trophy in Australia. pic.twitter.com/BEbC4sJFt0 — Chetan Sharma (@chetans1987) April 16, 2020 × #OnThisDay in 1995, India won their fourth Asia Cup title They restricted Sri Lanka to 230/7 in the final in Sharjah, and chased it down with eight wickets to spare pic.twitter.com/8HAWZqmcH0 — ICC (@ICC) April 14, 2020 × How did you produce that, @DaleSteyn62? What a magician this guy was with the ball!! Also kudos to Ian Gould for terrific umpiring. pic.twitter.com/e4LGsRiP59 — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 16, 2020 × The very first Test match delivery was bowled #OnThisDay in 1877, between Australia and England, in Melbourne. What’s your favourite Test Match memory of all time? Tell us pic.twitter.com/f4mpin6Wxc — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 15, 2020 × With no live cricket action, social media platforms have come to the rescue for fans and players to keep themselves engaged. Twitter has not only witnessed ardent lovers of the gentlemen's game reliving some of the matches and moments from past but has also seen players connecting to their fans and followers even more.

Sports fans on Twitter take a trip down memory lane amid the lockdown

<p>As the coronavirus pandemic has put much of the globe in lockdown, sports has not been immune, indeed the deadly fall out from a Champions League game in Milan and the speed with &nbsp;which the disease spread through the UAE Tour peloton raise worrying issues for the future.</p>

<p>AFP Sport picks 10 dates during the crisis that tell the tale of how sport has been hit.</p>

<h2>February 19: Spreading the virus&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Atalanta met Valencia in Milan in the Champions League just as infection numbers began to rise in northern Italy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thousands of Bergamo residents travelled to the game as others crowded together at home and in bars to watch.</p>

<p>"It's clear that evening was a situation in which the virus was widely spread," Bergamo mayor Giorgio Gori later said as the virus raged across his city.</p>

<p>Valencia said 35 percent of their team and staff tested positive for coronavirus following the trip to Milan.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>February 27: Danger in the peloton&nbsp;</h2>

<p>The first sportsmen to come down with the virus were at cycling's UAE Tour, which was abandoned after two Italian mechanics tested positive. Tests immediately found six more cases.</p>

<h2>March 13: F1's chequered flag</h2>

<p>The opening Grand Prix of the Formula One season was called off two days before the race with teams already in Melbourne and practising.</p>

<p>Since then, eight more races have either been postponed or cancelled and by Saturday, when Haas became the latest outfit to furlough employees, half the teams on the grid had put staff on enforced absence.</p>

<h2>March 15: The IPL declares</h2>

<p>The Indian Premier League, cricket's annual money maker which generates an estimated $11 billion, was postponed and rescheduled for April 15.</p>

<p>That won't happen.</p>

<p>"Let's say July-August is the earliest," said Kevin Pietersen, the former England batsman.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>March 17: Euro 2020 postponed</h2>

<p>UEFA postpones Euro 2020 until 2021 though for a few days it insists the name will not change.</p>

<p>Moving its marquee international tournament gives the governing body of European football a window to sort out more pressing problems.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With club football halted almost everywhere, can it finish this season before player contracts expire at the end of June and sort out relegation, promotion and Champions League qualification in time for next season?</p>

<h2>March 24: Tokyo Olympics off</h2>

<p>After an uprising from athletes and sports bodies, the Tokyo Olympics became the first peacetime Games to be postponed.</p>

<p>The Games, originally scheduled for July 24-August 9, will be held 12 months late.</p>

<p>The International Olympic Committee, its member sports and Japan, faced a series of problems.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There was the loss of revenue, from broadcasting, sponsors and tickets that would normally go to federations, many of which were counting on the cash, or pay for the host's expenditure.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There was the issue of athletes who had already qualified.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There was also the knock-on impact on other events. World Athletics quickly announced it was rescheduling its world championships, set for Eugene, Oregon, next summer to 2022.</p>

<p>The Olympic flame, meanwhile, was displayed for a week in a lantern and then put in storage in an undisclosed location, ready to burn brightly next summer.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>April 1: Wimbledon's net loss&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Wimbledon chiefs cancelled the grass-court Grand Slam tournament for the first time since World War II.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Wimbledon's move contrasted with the earlier decision by Roland Garros, to reschedule their major to the autumn.</p>

<p>French Open bosses admitted their tournament could face losses of £230 million ($284 million) but their unilateral decision raised the hackles of the ATP and WTA which have their own events to reschedule.</p>

<p>In contrast, the All England Club had the foresight to take out insurance which will protect it from such losses.</p>

<p>The tennis season will not resume until July 13 at the earliest.</p>

<h2>April 2: Political football</h2>

<p>As the British government struggled to cope with the spiralling crisis, health minister Matt Hancock pointed at the highly-paid Premier League players saying they should take a pay cut.</p>

<p>Players reacted furiously, but the decision of leading clubs to use a government scheme to &nbsp;furlough less-well-paid staff and the failure of players to agree to cuts, has made them an inviting political football.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Action in the Premier League had been halted in mid-March.</p>

<h2>April 6: Open and shut for majors</h2>

<p>For the golf majors, it was a day of scribbling out plans and pencilling in others.</p>

<p>The 149th British Open, which was set for Royal St George's Golf Club in Kent in July, was cancelled for the first time since World War II.</p>

<p>Less than an hour later, the three US-based major golf championships announced rescheduled dates.</p>

<p>The PGA Championship is now scheduled to be played August 6-9 in San Francisco. It was postponed from May.</p>

<p>The US Open was rescheduled from June to September 17-20 with the Ryder Cup to be contested one week later at Whistling Straits as scheduled.</p>

<p>The Masters, which was to have climaxed at Augusta National on Sunday, has been rescheduled for November 12-15.</p>

<h2>April 8: Bundesliga leads race&nbsp;</h2>

<p>The majority of Bundesliga clubs returned to team non-contact training.</p>

<p>With talks continuing over the Bundesliga resuming on May 2, the Germans seem to be leading the race to become first major European league to return to action, even if it is behind closed doors, and offer broadcasters a live fix&nbsp;for sports-starved fans round the world.</p>


As the coronavirus pandemic has put much of the globe in lockdown, sports has not been immune, indeed the deadly fall out from a Champions League game in Milan and the speed with which the disease spread through the UAE Tour peloton raise worrying issues for the future.

As the coronavirus pandemic has put much of the globe in lockdown, sports has not been immune, indeed the deadly fall out from a Champions League game in Milan and the speed with which the disease spread through the UAE Tour peloton raise worrying issues for the future. AFP Sport picks 10 dates during the crisis that tell the tale of how sport has been hit. February 19: Spreading the virus Atalanta met Valencia in Milan in the Champions League just as infection numbers began to rise in northern Italy. Thousands of Bergamo residents travelled to the game as others crowded together at home and in bars to watch. "It's clear that evening was a situation in which the virus was widely spread," Bergamo mayor Giorgio Gori later said as the virus raged across his city. Valencia said 35 percent of their team and staff tested positive for coronavirus following the trip to Milan. February 27: Danger in the peloton The first sportsmen to come down with the virus were at cycling's UAE Tour, which was abandoned after two Italian mechanics tested positive. Tests immediately found six more cases. March 13: F1's chequered flag The opening Grand Prix of the Formula One season was called off two days before the race with teams already in Melbourne and practising. Since then, eight more races have either been postponed or cancelled and by Saturday, when Haas became the latest outfit to furlough employees, half the teams on the grid had put staff on enforced absence. March 15: The IPL declares The Indian Premier League, cricket's annual money maker which generates an estimated $11 billion, was postponed and rescheduled for April 15. That won't happen. "Let's say July-August is the earliest," said Kevin Pietersen, the former England batsman. March 17: Euro 2020 postponed UEFA postpones Euro 2020 until 2021 though for a few days it insists the name will not change. Moving its marquee international tournament gives the governing body of European football a window to sort out more pressing problems. With club football halted almost everywhere, can it finish this season before player contracts expire at the end of June and sort out relegation, promotion and Champions League qualification in time for next season? March 24: Tokyo Olympics off After an uprising from athletes and sports bodies, the Tokyo Olympics became the first peacetime Games to be postponed. The Games, originally scheduled for July 24-August 9, will be held 12 months late. The International Olympic Committee, its member sports and Japan, faced a series of problems. There was the loss of revenue, from broadcasting, sponsors and tickets that would normally go to federations, many of which were counting on the cash, or pay for the host's expenditure. There was the issue of athletes who had already qualified. There was also the knock-on impact on other events. World Athletics quickly announced it was rescheduling its world championships, set for Eugene, Oregon, next summer to 2022. The Olympic flame, meanwhile, was displayed for a week in a lantern and then put in storage in an undisclosed location, ready to burn brightly next summer. April 1: Wimbledon's net loss Wimbledon chiefs cancelled the grass-court Grand Slam tournament for the first time since World War II. Wimbledon's move contrasted with the earlier decision by Roland Garros, to reschedule their major to the autumn. French Open bosses admitted their tournament could face losses of £230 million ($284 million) but their unilateral decision raised the hackles of the ATP and WTA which have their own events to reschedule. In contrast, the All England Club had the foresight to take out insurance which will protect it from such losses. The tennis season will not resume until July 13 at the earliest. April 2: Political football As the British government struggled to cope with the spiralling crisis, health minister Matt Hancock pointed at the highly-paid Premier League players saying they should take a pay cut. Players reacted furiously, but the decision of leading clubs to use a government scheme to furlough less-well-paid staff and the failure of players to agree to cuts, has made them an inviting political football. Action in the Premier League had been halted in mid-March. April 6: Open and shut for majors For the golf majors, it was a day of scribbling out plans and pencilling in others. The 149th British Open, which was set for Royal St George's Golf Club in Kent in July, was cancelled for the first time since World War II. Less than an hour later, the three US-based major golf championships announced rescheduled dates. The PGA Championship is now scheduled to be played August 6-9 in San Francisco. It was postponed from May. The US Open was rescheduled from June to September 17-20 with the Ryder Cup to be contested one week later at Whistling Straits as scheduled. The Masters, which was to have climaxed at Augusta National on Sunday, has been rescheduled for November 12-15. April 8: Bundesliga leads race The majority of Bundesliga clubs returned to team non-contact training. With talks continuing over the Bundesliga resuming on May 2, the Germans seem to be leading the race to become first major European league to return to action, even if it is behind closed doors, and offer broadcasters a live fix for sports-starved fans round the world.

Coronavirus: The weeks that rocked sport

<p>After postponing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to the year 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had said there would be ‘extreme ramifications' for rescheduling the Games. Now, president of the committee Thomas Bach has said that IOC is preparing to spend several hundred million dollars in additional cost following the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.</p>

<p>Bach stated that it was “impossible to say” exactly how much the rescheduling of the Games will cost while adding that Japan will continue to cover the costs under terms of existing agreement whereas IOC will be responsible for its share of costs. The financial ramifications were discussed with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before the postponement of the quadrennial event was announced in March 2020.,</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sports-minister-visits-sai-headquarters-essential-staff-resumes-office-292223" hreflang="en">Sports Minister visits SAI headquarters, essential staff resumes office</a></strong></p>

<p>“We agreed with the prime minister that Japan will continue to cover the costs it would have done under the terms of the existing agreement for 2020, and the IOC will continue to be responsible for its share of the costs,” Bach told a German daily.</p>

<p>“For us, the IOC, it is already clear that we shall be faced with several hundred million dollars of additional costs,” he added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nothing-is-in-favour-of-any-kind-of-sport-forget-ipl-bcci-president-sourav-ganguly-292216" hreflang="en">Nothing is in favour of any kind of sport, forget IPL: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly</a></strong></p>

<p>The IOC president further clarified that “cancellation was not really an option for anyone involved in the decision” while adding the postponement call was “not a decision the IOC could take on its own.”<br />
&nbsp;</p>


After postponing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to the year 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had said there would be ‘extreme ramifications' for rescheduling the Games.

After postponing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to the year 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had said there would be ‘extreme ramifications' for rescheduling the Games. Now, president of the committee Thomas Bach has said that IOC is preparing to spend several hundred million dollars in additional cost following the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Bach stated that it was “impossible to say” exactly how much the rescheduling of the Games will cost while adding that Japan will continue to cover the costs under terms of existing agreement whereas IOC will be responsible for its share of costs. The financial ramifications were discussed with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before the postponement of the quadrennial event was announced in March 2020., ALSO READ: Sports Minister visits SAI headquarters, essential staff resumes office “We agreed with the prime minister that Japan will continue to cover the costs it would have done under the terms of the existing agreement for 2020, and the IOC will continue to be responsible for its share of the costs,” Bach told a German daily. “For us, the IOC, it is already clear that we shall be faced with several hundred million dollars of additional costs,” he added. ALSO READ: Nothing is in favour of any kind of sport, forget IPL: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly The IOC president further clarified that “cancellation was not really an option for anyone involved in the decision” while adding the postponement call was “not a decision the IOC could take on its own.”

IOC looking at 'several hundred million dollars of additional costs' after postponement of Tokyo Olympics: Thomas Bach

<p>Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday visited the Sports Authority of India's headquarter where senior officials and other essential staff resumed operations after more than a fortnight of working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p>The minister visited the SAI headquarters here wearing a mask and sanitised his hands before entering the premises.</p>

<p>"The ministry has started its office with minimum staff because work has to go on. We are ensuring strict compliance of rules like social distancing, wearing masks and temperature checks," Rijjiju said.</p>

<p>The SAI office was shut down on March 21 as part of precautionary measures to contain the virus.</p>

<p>All ministers were on Saturday asked to resume office from Monday along with joint secretary level officers and one-third of their essential staff.</p>

<p>"Only divisional heads and 30 per cent of the lower division staff will work on a rotational basis. This is being done as per the centre's order in an effort to streamline things before the complete lifting of the lockdown," a SAI official told PTI referring to the current lockdown.</p>

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in China, has caused more than 300 deaths in India.</p>

<p>It has ravaged the world, killing over 100,000 people and putting tremendous strain on medical resources with more than 18,50,000 positive cases</p>


Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday visited the Sports Authority of India's headquarter where senior officials and other essential staff resumed operations after more than a fortnight of working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday visited the Sports Authority of India's headquarter where senior officials and other essential staff resumed operations after more than a fortnight of working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The minister visited the SAI headquarters here wearing a mask and sanitised his hands before entering the premises. "The ministry has started its office with minimum staff because work has to go on. We are ensuring strict compliance of rules like social distancing, wearing masks and temperature checks," Rijjiju said. The SAI office was shut down on March 21 as part of precautionary measures to contain the virus. All ministers were on Saturday asked to resume office from Monday along with joint secretary level officers and one-third of their essential staff. "Only divisional heads and 30 per cent of the lower division staff will work on a rotational basis. This is being done as per the centre's order in an effort to streamline things before the complete lifting of the lockdown," a SAI official told PTI referring to the current lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in China, has caused more than 300 deaths in India. It has ravaged the world, killing over 100,000 people and putting tremendous strain on medical resources with more than 18,50,000 positive cases

Sports Minister visits SAI headquarters, essential staff resumes office

<p>The legendary Sunil Gavaskar on Tuesday donated Rs 59 lakh, while Test regular Cheteshwar Pujara also made an unspecified contribution to the PM-CARES fund, joining the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed over 100 lives in India.</p>

<p>Pujara joined skipper Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, and Kedar Jadhav, who are among the current set of cricketers to make significant contributions. Among former players, Sachin Tendulkar is among the most notable contributors.</p>

<p>Gavaskar, who is now a sought after commentator and analyst of the game, did not reveal the contribution himself but a source close to him confirmed after former Mumbai skipper Amol Mujumdar tweeted the same.</p>

<p>"Just heard that SMG has donated 59 lakhs towards covid relief fund. 35 to @PMCaresFunds n 24 lakhs to @CMOMaharashtra. Thumbs up superb gesture Sir," Mujumdar said.</p>

<p>Pujara, on his part, thanked all the front-line warriors including doctors, para medical staff, and police, who are doing selfless service at this critical juncture.</p>

<p>"My family &amp; I have contributed our bit to the PM-CARES Fund and the Gujarat CM Relief Fund, and hope that you will to.</p>

<p>"Every single contribution counts, so let us all do our bit and together we will certainly overcome," Pujara stated.</p>

<p>"We would like to convey our deepest gratitude to all the front line warriors - medical professionals, police men/women, grocery staff, and so many others - for their dedication, courage and sacrifices in serving our nation and humanity," he added.</p>

<p>Ace shuttler and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Parupalli Kashyap also contributed Rs 3 lakh to Telangana Chief Minister's Relief Fund.</p>

<p>"I salute healthcare workers and emergency service providers. I hope my contribution helps them.," Kashyap tweeted.</p>


The legendary Sunil Gavaskar on Tuesday donated Rs 59 lakh, while Test regular Cheteshwar Pujara also made an unspecified contribution to the PM-CARES fund, joining the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed over 100 lives in India.

The legendary Sunil Gavaskar on Tuesday donated Rs 59 lakh, while Test regular Cheteshwar Pujara also made an unspecified contribution to the PM-CARES fund, joining the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed over 100 lives in India. Pujara joined skipper Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, and Kedar Jadhav, who are among the current set of cricketers to make significant contributions. Among former players, Sachin Tendulkar is among the most notable contributors. Gavaskar, who is now a sought after commentator and analyst of the game, did not reveal the contribution himself but a source close to him confirmed after former Mumbai skipper Amol Mujumdar tweeted the same. "Just heard that SMG has donated 59 lakhs towards covid relief fund. 35 to @PMCaresFunds n 24 lakhs to @CMOMaharashtra. Thumbs up superb gesture Sir," Mujumdar said. Pujara, on his part, thanked all the front-line warriors including doctors, para medical staff, and police, who are doing selfless service at this critical juncture. "My family & I have contributed our bit to the PM-CARES Fund and the Gujarat CM Relief Fund, and hope that you will to. "Every single contribution counts, so let us all do our bit and together we will certainly overcome," Pujara stated. "We would like to convey our deepest gratitude to all the front line warriors - medical professionals, police men/women, grocery staff, and so many others - for their dedication, courage and sacrifices in serving our nation and humanity," he added. Ace shuttler and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Parupalli Kashyap also contributed Rs 3 lakh to Telangana Chief Minister's Relief Fund. "I salute healthcare workers and emergency service providers. I hope my contribution helps them.," Kashyap tweeted.

COVID-19 Fight: Gavaskar contributes Rs 59 lakh, Pujara, Kashyap join list of donors

<p class="MsoNormal">Former Pakistan speedster and the current bowling coach of Pakistan cricket team, Waqar Younis on Monday said that he doesn’t agree with the suggestion that cricket matches should resume anytime soon behind closed doors, in front of empty stands. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The COVID-19 pandemic has ripped apart the sporting calendar with major tournaments and events getting either cancelled or postponed. While many bilateral series were affected due to the outbreak of the dreaded virus, high-profile tournaments such as Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 was also postponed mid-way. Waqar said that maybe in five or six months’ time, cricket can be resumed when things are under control.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;</strong></o:p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/man-city-boss-pep-guardiolas-mother-dies-after-contracting-covid-19-clubs-issues-statement-290934" hreflang="en">Man City boss Pep Guardiola's mother dies after contracting COVID-19; clubs issues statement</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“No I don’t agree with this suggestion that cricket activities should resume soon even before empty stadiums,” Waqar said, during a video conference with journalists on Monday<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“I think maybe in five or six months’ time. when things are under control around the world and we get back some normalcy in life, we can think about matches behind closed doors,” the former fast bowler said. “At some stage, we need to think about these choices but not this month or next month...the situation is not right for any cricket activities,” he added.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Pakistan’s last major ICC title was way back in 2017 where the then Sarfaraz Khan-led outfit defeated India to win the ICC Champions Trophy. Since then, it has been a downfall for the Green Army, as a unit. However, Waqar has a strong desire to help Pakistan win another major ICC title and hence, the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup is important.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;</strong></o:p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/delhi-shooting-world-cup-cancelled-due-to-covid-19-pandemic-290917" hreflang="en">Delhi shooting World Cup cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“Whenever I have played for Pakistan as a player or been a coach with the Pakistan team it has always been my desire to see the team win a major ICC title. That is why this World T20 is so important for me and the team,” he said.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“I would like to be the part of management where we can win a major title,” Waqar added.<o:p></o:p></p>


Former Pakistan speedster and the current bowling coach of Pakistan cricket team, Waqar Younis on Monday said that he doesn’t agree with the suggestion that cricket matches should resume anytime soon behind closed doors, in front of empty stands.

Former Pakistan speedster and the current bowling coach of Pakistan cricket team, Waqar Younis on Monday said that he doesn’t agree with the suggestion that cricket matches should resume anytime soon behind closed doors, in front of empty stands. The COVID-19 pandemic has ripped apart the sporting calendar with major tournaments and events getting either cancelled or postponed. While many bilateral series were affected due to the outbreak of the dreaded virus, high-profile tournaments such as Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 was also postponed mid-way. Waqar said that maybe in five or six months’ time, cricket can be resumed when things are under control. ALSO READ: Man City boss Pep Guardiola's mother dies after contracting COVID-19; clubs issues statement “No I don’t agree with this suggestion that cricket activities should resume soon even before empty stadiums,” Waqar said, during a video conference with journalists on Monday “I think maybe in five or six months’ time. when things are under control around the world and we get back some normalcy in life, we can think about matches behind closed doors,” the former fast bowler said. “At some stage, we need to think about these choices but not this month or next month...the situation is not right for any cricket activities,” he added. Pakistan’s last major ICC title was way back in 2017 where the then Sarfaraz Khan-led outfit defeated India to win the ICC Champions Trophy. Since then, it has been a downfall for the Green Army, as a unit. However, Waqar has a strong desire to help Pakistan win another major ICC title and hence, the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup is important. ALSO READ: Delhi shooting World Cup cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic “Whenever I have played for Pakistan as a player or been a coach with the Pakistan team it has always been my desire to see the team win a major ICC title. That is why this World T20 is so important for me and the team,” he said. “I would like to be the part of management where we can win a major title,” Waqar added.

‘Not a good idea...' - Waqar Younis on cricket in empty stadiums amid COVID-19 pandemic

<p>The shooting World Cup scheduled to be held in the national capital in May was on Monday cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p>The World Cup, originally scheduled to be held from March 15-26, was postponed to May barely four days before the start of the event.</p>

<p>"Due to COVID-19 pandemic the New Delhi Organising Committee has been forced to cancel Rifle/Pistol and Shotgun World Cups. Both of these were due to take place in New Delhi," the sport's world governing body -- ISSF -- said in a statement.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The 2020 ISSF World Cups in New Delhi and Baku have been cancelled<a href="https://t.co/wCVoxpLYeG">https://t.co/wCVoxpLYeG</a> <a href="https://t.co/JWaezNuhjc">pic.twitter.com/JWaezNuhjc</a></p>
— ISSF (@ISSF_Shooting) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISSF_Shooting/status/1247143780874104834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>It was decided to hold the tournament in two parts -- Rifle and Pistol competitions from May 5-12, while Shotgun competitions from June 2-9.</p>

<p>However, considering the situation, the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) decided to cancel the tournament.</p>

<p>PTI had earlier reported that the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was under pressure to not organise the tournament in the prevailing circumstances.</p>


The shooting World Cup scheduled to be held in the national capital in May was on Monday cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Cup, originally scheduled to be held from March 15-26, was postponed to May barely four days before the start of the event.

The shooting World Cup scheduled to be held in the national capital in May was on Monday cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Cup, originally scheduled to be held from March 15-26, was postponed to May barely four days before the start of the event. "Due to COVID-19 pandemic the New Delhi Organising Committee has been forced to cancel Rifle/Pistol and Shotgun World Cups. Both of these were due to take place in New Delhi," the sport's world governing body -- ISSF -- said in a statement. The 2020 ISSF World Cups in New Delhi and Baku have been cancelledhttps://t.co/wCVoxpLYeG pic.twitter.com/JWaezNuhjc — ISSF (@ISSF_Shooting) April 6, 2020 × It was decided to hold the tournament in two parts -- Rifle and Pistol competitions from May 5-12, while Shotgun competitions from June 2-9. However, considering the situation, the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) decided to cancel the tournament. PTI had earlier reported that the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was under pressure to not organise the tournament in the prevailing circumstances.

Delhi shooting World Cup cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

<p>British boxing great Nigel Benn revealed on Instagram one of his brothers Mark has died of coronavirus.</p>

<p>The 56-year-old -- former world champion at two weights -- said Mark had been the "Joker" of the family.</p>

<p>It came as the number of UK coronavirus-related deaths climbed by 621 to 4,934 and infections rose by 5,903 to 47,806.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"My brother Mark passed Away 2day (Covid 19), as we all were growing up Mark was the Joker of the Benn house hold," he wrote.</p>

<p>"May he Rest In Peace love u Mark.'"</p>

<p>Benn -- whose 23-year-old son Conor is a promising pugilist with an unblemished record -- was one of seven boys but lost his older brother Andy when he fell out of a window aged just eight.</p>

<p>Benn was dubbed&nbsp;the 'Dark Destroyer' for his aggressive style and enjoyed a fierce rivalry with compatriots Chris Eubank and Michael Watson.</p>

<p>Benn was WBO middleweight title in 1990 and then went on to become WBC super-middleweight champion holding the belt between 1992 and 1996 -- losing his crown to South African Thulani Malinga.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He retired from the ring in 1996 after twice failing to wrest the WBO super-middleweight title from Irishman Stephen Collins.</p>

<p>Benn is not the first from the sport in Britain to lose a relative due to the coronavirus.</p>

<p>The grandmother and father of British light-heavyweight Anthony Yarde died within a few days of each other.</p>

<p>The 28-year-old made an emotional appeal to the public to "just stay home" to avoid the risk of spreading the virus.</p>

<p>"It's serious!" Yarde wrote on social media.</p>

<p>"People are still going out when they don't need to. I know there's a lot of opinions about Covid-19 and I have mine but I just know opinions ain't worth risking your life and others. Just stay home."</p>


British boxing great Nigel Benn revealed on Instagram one of his brothers Mark has died of coronavirus. The 56-year-old -- former world champion at two weights -- said Mark had been the "Joker" of the family.

British boxing great Nigel Benn revealed on Instagram one of his brothers Mark has died of coronavirus. The 56-year-old -- former world champion at two weights -- said Mark had been the "Joker" of the family. It came as the number of UK coronavirus-related deaths climbed by 621 to 4,934 and infections rose by 5,903 to 47,806. "My brother Mark passed Away 2day (Covid 19), as we all were growing up Mark was the Joker of the Benn house hold," he wrote. "May he Rest In Peace love u Mark.'" Benn -- whose 23-year-old son Conor is a promising pugilist with an unblemished record -- was one of seven boys but lost his older brother Andy when he fell out of a window aged just eight. Benn was dubbed the 'Dark Destroyer' for his aggressive style and enjoyed a fierce rivalry with compatriots Chris Eubank and Michael Watson. Benn was WBO middleweight title in 1990 and then went on to become WBC super-middleweight champion holding the belt between 1992 and 1996 -- losing his crown to South African Thulani Malinga. He retired from the ring in 1996 after twice failing to wrest the WBO super-middleweight title from Irishman Stephen Collins. Benn is not the first from the sport in Britain to lose a relative due to the coronavirus. The grandmother and father of British light-heavyweight Anthony Yarde died within a few days of each other. The 28-year-old made an emotional appeal to the public to "just stay home" to avoid the risk of spreading the virus. "It's serious!" Yarde wrote on social media. "People are still going out when they don't need to. I know there's a lot of opinions about Covid-19 and I have mine but I just know opinions ain't worth risking your life and others. Just stay home."

British boxing great Nigel Benn reveals coronavirus heartbreak

<p>As the coronavirus brings the international sports calendar to a grinding halt, AFP Sport looks at three long-standing habits which could change forever once competition resumes.</p>

<h2>Saliva to take shine off swing bowling</h2>

<p>-- It's been a tried and trusted friend to fast bowlers throughout the history of cricket.</p>

<p>But the days of applying saliva to one side of the ball to encourage swing could be over in the aftermath of COVID-19.</p>

<p>"As a bowler I think it would be pretty tough going if we couldn't shine the ball in a Test match," said Australia quick Pat Cummins.</p>

<p>"If it's at that stage and we're that worried about the spread, I'm not sure we'd be playing sport."</p>

<h2>Towels in tennis - no touching</h2>

<p>-- Tennis players throwing towels, dripping with sweat and blood and probably a tear or two, at ball boys and girls, has often left fans sympathising for the youngsters.</p>

<p>Moves by officials to tackle the issue took on greater urgency in March when the coronavirus was taking a global grip.</p>

<p>Behind closed doors in Miki, ball boys and girls on duty at the Davis Cup tie between Japan and Ecuador wore gloves.</p>

<p>Baskets, meanwhile, were made available for players to deposit their towels.</p>

<p>Back in 2018, the ATP introduced towel racks at some events on a trial basis, but not everyone was overjoyed.</p>

<p>"I think having the towel whenever you need it, it's very helpful. It's one thing less that you have to think about," said Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas when he was playing at the NextGen Finals in Milan.</p>

<p>"I think it's the job of the ball kids to provide towels and balls for the players."</p>

<h2>Let's not shake on it</h2>

<p>-- Pre-match handshakes were abandoned in top football leagues just before the sports shutdown.</p>

<p>Premier League leaders Liverpool also banned the used of mascots while Southampton warned against players signing autographs and stopped them posing for selfies.</p>

<p>Away from football, the NBA urged players to opt for the fist bump rather than the long-standing high-five.</p>

<p>"I ain't high-fiving nobody for the rest of my life after this," NBA superstar LeBron James told the "Road Trippin' Podcast".</p>

<p>"No more high-fiving. After this corona shit? Wait 'til you see me and my teammates’ handshakes after this shit."</p>

<p>Basketball stars were also told not to take items such as balls or teams shirts to autograph.</p>

<p>US women's football star Megan Rapinoe says edicts to ban handshakes or even high-fives may be counter-productive anyway.</p>

<p>"We're going to be sweating all over each other all game, so it sort of defeats the purpose of not doing a handshake," she told the New York Times in March.</p>


As the coronavirus brings the international sports calendar to a grinding halt, AFP Sport looks at three long-standing habits which could change forever once competition resumes.

As the coronavirus brings the international sports calendar to a grinding halt, AFP Sport looks at three long-standing habits which could change forever once competition resumes. Saliva to take shine off swing bowling -- It's been a tried and trusted friend to fast bowlers throughout the history of cricket. But the days of applying saliva to one side of the ball to encourage swing could be over in the aftermath of COVID-19. "As a bowler I think it would be pretty tough going if we couldn't shine the ball in a Test match," said Australia quick Pat Cummins. "If it's at that stage and we're that worried about the spread, I'm not sure we'd be playing sport." Towels in tennis - no touching -- Tennis players throwing towels, dripping with sweat and blood and probably a tear or two, at ball boys and girls, has often left fans sympathising for the youngsters. Moves by officials to tackle the issue took on greater urgency in March when the coronavirus was taking a global grip. Behind closed doors in Miki, ball boys and girls on duty at the Davis Cup tie between Japan and Ecuador wore gloves. Baskets, meanwhile, were made available for players to deposit their towels. Back in 2018, the ATP introduced towel racks at some events on a trial basis, but not everyone was overjoyed. "I think having the towel whenever you need it, it's very helpful. It's one thing less that you have to think about," said Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas when he was playing at the NextGen Finals in Milan. "I think it's the job of the ball kids to provide towels and balls for the players." Let's not shake on it -- Pre-match handshakes were abandoned in top football leagues just before the sports shutdown. Premier League leaders Liverpool also banned the used of mascots while Southampton warned against players signing autographs and stopped them posing for selfies. Away from football, the NBA urged players to opt for the fist bump rather than the long-standing high-five. "I ain't high-fiving nobody for the rest of my life after this," NBA superstar LeBron James told the "Road Trippin' Podcast". "No more high-fiving. After this corona shit? Wait 'til you see me and my teammates’ handshakes after this shit." Basketball stars were also told not to take items such as balls or teams shirts to autograph. US women's football star Megan Rapinoe says edicts to ban handshakes or even high-fives may be counter-productive anyway. "We're going to be sweating all over each other all game, so it sort of defeats the purpose of not doing a handshake," she told the New York Times in March.

Spit, sweat and shaking on it: Three sports habits that could change after coronavirus

<p>Australia's leading fast bowler Pat Cummins said COVID-19 lockdowns would make it "tight" for the big-money Indian Premier League to go ahead this month as planned, leaving some of cricket's biggest stars in limbo.</p>

<p>"They obviously haven't cancelled it or anything like that yet. It's still a bit of a holding pattern," the Kolkata Knight Riders-contracted Cummins said, speaking from home isolation near Sydney.</p>

<p>"We're in contact with our teams every few days. Obviously, everyone's still really keen for it to all go ahead," he said, "but you know the priority is to minimise risk of (coronavirus) spreading."</p>

<p>Play is scheduled to start on April 15, the day after India's three-week lockdown is due to end and two months before restrictions on Australians travelling overseas could be lifted.</p>

<p>"I don't expect anything too soon to happen," Cummins said, hinting at a possible delay. "I mean obviously the preference would be to be over there playing but... I guess the silver lining is that we do get a bit of a break."</p>

<p>The start of the&nbsp;IPL&nbsp;season had already been pushed back from March 29 until April 15 "as a precautionary measure" over the coronavirus, the Indian&nbsp;cricket&nbsp;board said.</p>

<p>Even if the tournament does start after April 15, it could be without fans in the stadium and it is not clear that Australian players could attend with travel restrictions still in place.</p>

<p>The two-month tournament is a huge revenue earner.</p>

<p>The Twenty20 competition is estimated to generate more than $11 billion for the Indian economy and involves&nbsp;cricket's top international stars like England's Ben Stokes, Australia's David Warner and Indian captain Virat Kohli.</p>


Australia's leading fast bowler Pat Cummins said COVID-19 lockdowns would make it "tight" for the big-money Indian Premier League to go ahead this month as planned, leaving some of cricket's biggest stars in limbo.

Australia's leading fast bowler Pat Cummins said COVID-19 lockdowns would make it "tight" for the big-money Indian Premier League to go ahead this month as planned, leaving some of cricket's biggest stars in limbo. "They obviously haven't cancelled it or anything like that yet. It's still a bit of a holding pattern," the Kolkata Knight Riders-contracted Cummins said, speaking from home isolation near Sydney. "We're in contact with our teams every few days. Obviously, everyone's still really keen for it to all go ahead," he said, "but you know the priority is to minimise risk of (coronavirus) spreading." Play is scheduled to start on April 15, the day after India's three-week lockdown is due to end and two months before restrictions on Australians travelling overseas could be lifted. "I don't expect anything too soon to happen," Cummins said, hinting at a possible delay. "I mean obviously the preference would be to be over there playing but... I guess the silver lining is that we do get a bit of a break." The start of the IPL season had already been pushed back from March 29 until April 15 "as a precautionary measure" over the coronavirus, the Indian cricket board said. Even if the tournament does start after April 15, it could be without fans in the stadium and it is not clear that Australian players could attend with travel restrictions still in place. The two-month tournament is a huge revenue earner. The Twenty20 competition is estimated to generate more than $11 billion for the Indian economy and involves cricket's top international stars like England's Ben Stokes, Australia's David Warner and Indian captain Virat Kohli.

IPL 2020's highest buy Pat Cummins in 'holding pattern' with tournament in doubt due to COVID-19 pandemic

<p class="MsoNormal">The debate surrounding who was the better player between West Indies legend Brian Lara and Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar still continues to be the topic of discussion among ardent cricket lovers. However, Lara may have just put an end to all the debate with his latest post on social media platform Instagram as the southpaw shared a video clip of Tendulkar’s classic knock of 242 not-out against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2004. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Lara cited Tendulkar’s discipline to bat in tough conditions as he urged everyone to be disciplined in life and follow the guidelines provided by the government to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The former Windies captain said that everyone can learn the discipline to combat anything in life by watching Tendulkar’s performance against Australia in the Sydney Test.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“@sachintendulkar Not was but IS one of the Greatest to have played our glorious game. We can all learn the discipline needed to COMBAT anything in life from this performance 241 not out vs Australia. #playsafe #backagainstwall,” Lara captioned the video.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-captain-joe-root-trying-to-make-most-of-enforced-break-290446" hreflang="en">England captain Joe Root trying to make most of enforced break</a></strong></p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-e-OuAlxU6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">@sachintendulkar Not was but IS one of the Greatest to have played our glorious game. We can all learn the discipline needed to COMBAT anything in life from this performance 241 not out vs Australia. #playsafe #backagainstwall</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brianlaraofficial/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Brian Lara</a> (@brianlaraofficial) on <time datetime="2020-04-02T17:09:12+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Apr 2, 2020 at 10:09am PDT</time></p>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-can-wait-as-life-is-most-important-now-says-suresh-raina-290404" hreflang="en">IPL 2020 can wait as life is most important now, says Suresh Raina</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Tendulkar had stitched a memorable partnership with VVS Laxman as the Master Blaster went on to score a gritty 241 not-out whereas Laxman scored 178 against a world-class Aussie bowling attack to help India post a mammoth target of 705-7 (dec).<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">At that time, the Aussie bowling attack had the likes of&nbsp;Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Stuart McGill, among others. However, Tendulkar survived the initial scare due to his sheer determination and grit while going on to score a splendid double ton. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">While some will still continue to debate on who was the better batsman between Lara and Tendulkar, everyone should take the main lesson out of Lara’s post and follow the advisory by the health ministry to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. <o:p></o:p></p>


The debate surrounding who was the better player between West Indies legend Brian Lara and Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar still continues to be the topic of discussion among ardent cricket lovers.

The debate surrounding who was the better player between West Indies legend Brian Lara and Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar still continues to be the topic of discussion among ardent cricket lovers. However, Lara may have just put an end to all the debate with his latest post on social media platform Instagram as the southpaw shared a video clip of Tendulkar’s classic knock of 242 not-out against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2004. Lara cited Tendulkar’s discipline to bat in tough conditions as he urged everyone to be disciplined in life and follow the guidelines provided by the government to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The former Windies captain said that everyone can learn the discipline to combat anything in life by watching Tendulkar’s performance against Australia in the Sydney Test. “@sachintendulkar Not was but IS one of the Greatest to have played our glorious game. We can all learn the discipline needed to COMBAT anything in life from this performance 241 not out vs Australia. #playsafe #backagainstwall,” Lara captioned the video. ALSO READ: England captain Joe Root trying to make most of enforced break View this post on Instagram @sachintendulkar Not was but IS one of the Greatest to have played our glorious game. We can all learn the discipline needed to COMBAT anything in life from this performance 241 not out vs Australia. #playsafe #backagainstwall A post shared by Brian Lara (@brianlaraofficial) on Apr 2, 2020 at 10:09am PDT × ALSO READ: IPL 2020 can wait as life is most important now, says Suresh Raina Tendulkar had stitched a memorable partnership with VVS Laxman as the Master Blaster went on to score a gritty 241 not-out whereas Laxman scored 178 against a world-class Aussie bowling attack to help India post a mammoth target of 705-7 (dec). At that time, the Aussie bowling attack had the likes of Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Stuart McGill, among others. However, Tendulkar survived the initial scare due to his sheer determination and grit while going on to score a splendid double ton. While some will still continue to debate on who was the better batsman between Lara and Tendulkar, everyone should take the main lesson out of Lara’s post and follow the advisory by the health ministry to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn from Sachin Tendulkar's discipline to combat anything in life: Brian Lara's classic message to aware people of COVID-19

<p>Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War II and no resumption of the ATP and WTA Tours until July 13 at the earliest as the coronavirus continues to cause havoc.</p>

<p>AFP Sport looks at what happens next for tennis in 2020.</p>

<h2>Djokovic, biggest winner or loser?</h2>

<p>-- Before the season went into cold storage, Novak Djokovic had captured an eighth Australian Open and was on an 18-0 winning streak since the turn of the year.</p>

<p>Talk was of Djokovic, now a 17-time Grand Slam title winner, going on to match his 2011 and 2015 seasons.</p>

<p>In 2011, he built a 41-match win streak before ending the year with a 70-6 record and 10 titles, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open crowns.</p>

<p>In 2015, Djokovic won the same three Slams again out of 11 titles in a win-loss record of 82-6.</p>

<p>After taking the 79th title of his career in Dubai on the last day of February this year, the 32-year-old proclaimed: "One of the targets is to go unbeaten the whole season. I'm not kidding."</p>

<p>However, with the French Open, which he has won once, and Wimbledon, where he was the defending champion, respectively postponed and scrapped, has his bubble burst?</p>

<p>"The big loser is Djokovic," former world number one and seven-time major winner Mats Wilander told L'Equipe.</p>

<p>"He hasn't lost this year yet, but this virus has stopped him in his tracks."</p>

<h2>Will there be any more tennis at all in 2020?</h2>

<p>-- After Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time in 75 years on Wednesday, All England Club chief Richard Lewis was hoping for the best but fearing the worst.</p>

<p>"I don't think it's unrealistic to say that there may be no more tennis this year," he said.</p>

<p>"But I would like to think that things will settle down so that tournaments can be played sooner rather than later. Who knows what will happen?"</p>

<p>The clay-court and grass-court seasons have already been binned.</p>

<p>In all, 21 tournaments on both tours have been affected.</p>

<p>The rescheduled French Open has been shoehorned into September-October, starting just a week after the US Open final in New York.</p>

<p>Two different continents; two radically different surfaces.</p>

<p>Also, a rebooted Roland Garros now clashes with six ATP and WTA events, some of which form part of the lucrative and high-profile Asian hard-court swing.</p>

<p>The Laver Cup in Boston, where Roger Federer is likely to feature, is another direct rival to the Paris showpiece.</p>

<p>Furthermore, there are no guarantees that the spread of the deadly coronavirus will have stalled by the summer.</p>

<p>"I think that we are going to have to draw a line under the 2020 tennis season," tweeted former world number one and two-time major winner Amelie Mauresmo.</p>

<p>"The international circuit = male and female players of all nationalities including their coaching staff, spectators and people from all over the world who bring these events to life.</p>

<p>"No vaccine = no tennis."</p>

<h2>End of the road for low-paid?</h2>

<p>-- The likes of Djokovic, Federer and Rafael Nadal have all banked over $100 million in prize money in their careers.</p>

<p>However, the world rankings stretch beyond the 1,200 mark where an army of under-achieving and low-paid players barely make ends meet.</p>

<p>Currently at 1,283 in the world is 27-year-old Ksenia Kolesnikova of Russia - in 2020, she has officially made just $68.</p>

<p>"Players lower ranked than 250 will not be able to buy food in two-three weeks' time," warned Georgia's world number 371 Sofia Shapatava.</p>

<p>She has organised a petition calling on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to provide a financial safety net for the hundreds who toil in second and third-tier events.</p>

<p>But she is not optimistic the ITF will look favourably on her plea.</p>

<p>"I honestly don't think so," she told AFP.</p>

<p>"They replied that their plate is full and they will come back to me as soon as they can. But after that email they did not reply with anything."</p>


Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War II and no resumption of the ATP and WTA Tours until July 13 at the earliest as the coronavirus continues to cause havoc.

Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War II and no resumption of the ATP and WTA Tours until July 13 at the earliest as the coronavirus continues to cause havoc. AFP Sport looks at what happens next for tennis in 2020. Djokovic, biggest winner or loser? -- Before the season went into cold storage, Novak Djokovic had captured an eighth Australian Open and was on an 18-0 winning streak since the turn of the year. Talk was of Djokovic, now a 17-time Grand Slam title winner, going on to match his 2011 and 2015 seasons. In 2011, he built a 41-match win streak before ending the year with a 70-6 record and 10 titles, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open crowns. In 2015, Djokovic won the same three Slams again out of 11 titles in a win-loss record of 82-6. After taking the 79th title of his career in Dubai on the last day of February this year, the 32-year-old proclaimed: "One of the targets is to go unbeaten the whole season. I'm not kidding." However, with the French Open, which he has won once, and Wimbledon, where he was the defending champion, respectively postponed and scrapped, has his bubble burst? "The big loser is Djokovic," former world number one and seven-time major winner Mats Wilander told L'Equipe. "He hasn't lost this year yet, but this virus has stopped him in his tracks." Will there be any more tennis at all in 2020? -- After Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time in 75 years on Wednesday, All England Club chief Richard Lewis was hoping for the best but fearing the worst. "I don't think it's unrealistic to say that there may be no more tennis this year," he said. "But I would like to think that things will settle down so that tournaments can be played sooner rather than later. Who knows what will happen?" The clay-court and grass-court seasons have already been binned. In all, 21 tournaments on both tours have been affected. The rescheduled French Open has been shoehorned into September-October, starting just a week after the US Open final in New York. Two different continents; two radically different surfaces. Also, a rebooted Roland Garros now clashes with six ATP and WTA events, some of which form part of the lucrative and high-profile Asian hard-court swing. The Laver Cup in Boston, where Roger Federer is likely to feature, is another direct rival to the Paris showpiece. Furthermore, there are no guarantees that the spread of the deadly coronavirus will have stalled by the summer. "I think that we are going to have to draw a line under the 2020 tennis season," tweeted former world number one and two-time major winner Amelie Mauresmo. "The international circuit = male and female players of all nationalities including their coaching staff, spectators and people from all over the world who bring these events to life. "No vaccine = no tennis." End of the road for low-paid? -- The likes of Djokovic, Federer and Rafael Nadal have all banked over $100 million in prize money in their careers. However, the world rankings stretch beyond the 1,200 mark where an army of under-achieving and low-paid players barely make ends meet. Currently at 1,283 in the world is 27-year-old Ksenia Kolesnikova of Russia - in 2020, she has officially made just $68. "Players lower ranked than 250 will not be able to buy food in two-three weeks' time," warned Georgia's world number 371 Sofia Shapatava. She has organised a petition calling on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to provide a financial safety net for the hundreds who toil in second and third-tier events. But she is not optimistic the ITF will look favourably on her plea. "I honestly don't think so," she told AFP. "They replied that their plate is full and they will come back to me as soon as they can. But after that email they did not reply with anything."

What now for tennis in 2020?

<p>The president of International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach has thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his immense support to the Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed to July 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p>In a letter to PM Modi, dated April 1, Bach stated that he was grateful to the Indian Prime Minister for his support to the quadrennial Games during the recent G20 Leaders’ Summit, held via video conference. Bach thanked PM Modi for lauding the IOC for their contribution towards the containment of the COVID-19 virus.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hit-list-whats-next-in-line-for-possible-coronavirus-postponement-290137" hreflang="en">Hit list: What's next in line for possible coronavirus postponement</a></strong></p>

<p>"Please accept my sincere thanks for the support you have given to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, expressed in the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit Statement, commending the International Olympic Committee for contributing to the containment of the COVID-19 virus," Bach wrote in his letter. "I am really grateful for your support for the Olympic Games and their unifying role, which the G20 Leaders' Summit had already expressed at your meeting last year in Osaka."</p>

<p>While the IOC was optimistic about conducting the Games as per schedule, the rapidly rising cases of COVID-19 worldwide left the organisers with no choice than to postpone the Games by a year.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Letter of appreciation from the President of International Olympic Committee to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> ji for his commitment and contribution in containing COVID-19 and for promoting the cause of Olympics to make it a symbol of human resilience. <a href="https://t.co/h724Sdzg9b">pic.twitter.com/h724Sdzg9b</a></p>
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) <a href="https://twitter.com/KirenRijiju/status/1245642012251979777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/spurs-son-set-for-military-training-during-virus-shutdown-report-290116" hreflang="en">Spurs' Son set for military training during virus shutdown: report</a></strong></p>

<p>"Given the great work having been done by our Japanese partners and friends, Tokyo is the best-ever prepared Olympic city. Thanks to the excellent and trustful cooperation we are enjoying, like from the G20 Leaders' Summit, we are confident that these Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be a great success," Bach said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Like you, we are confident that the Olympic Games 2020 will be a symbol of human resilience. They will again show the unity of humanity in all our diversity by bringing together the world's best 11,000 athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"As humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel, together with our Japanese partners and friends we want to make these Olympic Games a light at the end of this tunnel," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Tokyo Olympics 2020 will now open on July 23, 2021, with the closing ceremony scheduled to be held on August 8, 2021. The move to defer the Games by a year has been well received by the athletes and sporting federations who lauded IOC for taking care of athletes’ and everyone linked to the quadrennial event.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The president of International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach has thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his immense support to the Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed to July 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The president of International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach has thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his immense support to the Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed to July 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to PM Modi, dated April 1, Bach stated that he was grateful to the Indian Prime Minister for his support to the quadrennial Games during the recent G20 Leaders’ Summit, held via video conference. Bach thanked PM Modi for lauding the IOC for their contribution towards the containment of the COVID-19 virus. ALSO READ: Hit list: What's next in line for possible coronavirus postponement "Please accept my sincere thanks for the support you have given to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, expressed in the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit Statement, commending the International Olympic Committee for contributing to the containment of the COVID-19 virus," Bach wrote in his letter. "I am really grateful for your support for the Olympic Games and their unifying role, which the G20 Leaders' Summit had already expressed at your meeting last year in Osaka." While the IOC was optimistic about conducting the Games as per schedule, the rapidly rising cases of COVID-19 worldwide left the organisers with no choice than to postpone the Games by a year. Letter of appreciation from the President of International Olympic Committee to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji for his commitment and contribution in containing COVID-19 and for promoting the cause of Olympics to make it a symbol of human resilience. pic.twitter.com/h724Sdzg9b — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) April 2, 2020 × ALSO READ: Spurs' Son set for military training during virus shutdown: report "Given the great work having been done by our Japanese partners and friends, Tokyo is the best-ever prepared Olympic city. Thanks to the excellent and trustful cooperation we are enjoying, like from the G20 Leaders' Summit, we are confident that these Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be a great success," Bach said. "Like you, we are confident that the Olympic Games 2020 will be a symbol of human resilience. They will again show the unity of humanity in all our diversity by bringing together the world's best 11,000 athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team." "As humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel, together with our Japanese partners and friends we want to make these Olympic Games a light at the end of this tunnel," he added. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 will now open on July 23, 2021, with the closing ceremony scheduled to be held on August 8, 2021. The move to defer the Games by a year has been well received by the athletes and sporting federations who lauded IOC for taking care of athletes’ and everyone linked to the quadrennial event.

IOC president Thomas Bach thanks PM Narendra Modi for supporting postponed Tokyo Olympics

<p>The coronavirus pandemic has decimated the 2020 sporting calendar, with the Tokyo Olympics and football's European Championship the biggest events to be postponed, while Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II.</p>

<p>Here, AFP Sport takes a look at six of the upcoming major competitions which could also be scrapped or delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak:</p>

<h2>Epsom Derby&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Scheduled date: June 6</p>

<p>-- British racing is in shutdown mode until at least the end of April, placing doubt on Newmarket's Guineas weekend on May 2/3, and inevitably also the jewel in the British flat racing crown, the Epsom Derby.</p>

<p>The Blue Riband of the turf has been held every year since Diomed took the inaugural running in 1780. During the two World Wars it was moved to Newmarket.</p>

<p>Around 150,000 people descend on the Epsom Downs to watch Britain's richest race.</p>

<h2>Canadian Grand Prix</h2>

<p>Scheduled date: June 14</p>

<p>-- The earliest the Formula One season can get underway is in Montreal on June 14 after the opening eight races of the campaign were all either postponed or cancelled.</p>

<p>A decision on a potential delay will be made by Easter weekend (April 11-12), according to race organisers.</p>

<p>Formula One and Silverstone chiefs also said they have until the end of April to decide whether to postpone the British Grand Prix, scheduled for July 19.</p>

<p>F1 chairman Chase Carey said last month that he still expects the season to start in the summer with a revised calendar of "15-18 races".</p>

<h2>Royal Ascot&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Scheduled dates: June 16-20</p>

<p>-- British monarch Queen Elizabeth II has only missed attending two Epsom Derbies since her first visit as a princess in 1946. But she has never failed to attend her 'local' meeting since ascending the throne in 1952.</p>

<p>The five day festival draws a 300,000 crowd which consumes 56,000 bottles of champagne and 80,000 cups of tea while out on the track equine aristocrats joust for prize money in excess of £8 million ($10 million).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ascot spokesman Nick Smith told The Daily Mail: "There are no certainties and we are one industry in a world of industries in exactly the same position. You can plan with optimism but no surety."</p>

<p>It has been staged every year since 1911. The 2005 meeting moved to York while the racecourse was closed for renovation.</p>

<h2>US Open&nbsp;(golf)</h2>

<p>Scheduled dates: June 18-21</p>

<p>-- The 120th US Open at Winged Foot is due to be the first men's major of the golf season after the postponements of both the Masters and the PGA Championship.</p>

<p>But American media reports earlier this week said that the tournament in Mamaroneck, New York, was likely to be put back until later in the summer.</p>

<p>The course was closed last week, since when the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States has passed 100,000, over 44,000 of them in New York state.</p>

<h2>Tour de France&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Scheduled dates: June 27-July 19</p>

<p>-- The Tour de France is still scheduled to start in Nice on June 27, despite France having extended its lockdown until April 15.</p>

<p>Sports minister Roxana Maracineanu on Wednesday said that the world's most prestigious cycling race, which usually draws more than 10 million fans to the roadsides, could take place with no spectators.</p>

<p>But she also admitted that all options, including cancellation, are being considered.</p>

<h2>British Open</h2>

<p>Scheduled dates: July&nbsp;16-19</p>

<p>-- British media reported on Friday said that the British Open at Royal St George's could be postponed within days.</p>

<p>Over 200,000 spectators are due to attend the tournament in Sandwich.</p>

<p>A delay could have a knock-on effect on the rest of the golf calendar, with space at a premium after the postponements of the PGA and the Masters.</p>

<p>It is highly unlikely that the 149th Open could be held later than September due to the weather, but a delay until next year would impact plans to hold the 150th edition at St Andrews.</p>


The coronavirus pandemic has decimated the 2020 sporting calendar, with the Tokyo Olympics and football's European Championship the biggest events to be postponed, while Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II.

The coronavirus pandemic has decimated the 2020 sporting calendar, with the Tokyo Olympics and football's European Championship the biggest events to be postponed, while Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II. Here, AFP Sport takes a look at six of the upcoming major competitions which could also be scrapped or delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak: Epsom Derby Scheduled date: June 6 -- British racing is in shutdown mode until at least the end of April, placing doubt on Newmarket's Guineas weekend on May 2/3, and inevitably also the jewel in the British flat racing crown, the Epsom Derby. The Blue Riband of the turf has been held every year since Diomed took the inaugural running in 1780. During the two World Wars it was moved to Newmarket. Around 150,000 people descend on the Epsom Downs to watch Britain's richest race. Canadian Grand Prix Scheduled date: June 14 -- The earliest the Formula One season can get underway is in Montreal on June 14 after the opening eight races of the campaign were all either postponed or cancelled. A decision on a potential delay will be made by Easter weekend (April 11-12), according to race organisers. Formula One and Silverstone chiefs also said they have until the end of April to decide whether to postpone the British Grand Prix, scheduled for July 19. F1 chairman Chase Carey said last month that he still expects the season to start in the summer with a revised calendar of "15-18 races". Royal Ascot Scheduled dates: June 16-20 -- British monarch Queen Elizabeth II has only missed attending two Epsom Derbies since her first visit as a princess in 1946. But she has never failed to attend her 'local' meeting since ascending the throne in 1952. The five day festival draws a 300,000 crowd which consumes 56,000 bottles of champagne and 80,000 cups of tea while out on the track equine aristocrats joust for prize money in excess of £8 million ($10 million). Ascot spokesman Nick Smith told The Daily Mail: "There are no certainties and we are one industry in a world of industries in exactly the same position. You can plan with optimism but no surety." It has been staged every year since 1911. The 2005 meeting moved to York while the racecourse was closed for renovation. US Open (golf) Scheduled dates: June 18-21 -- The 120th US Open at Winged Foot is due to be the first men's major of the golf season after the postponements of both the Masters and the PGA Championship. But American media reports earlier this week said that the tournament in Mamaroneck, New York, was likely to be put back until later in the summer. The course was closed last week, since when the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States has passed 100,000, over 44,000 of them in New York state. Tour de France Scheduled dates: June 27-July 19 -- The Tour de France is still scheduled to start in Nice on June 27, despite France having extended its lockdown until April 15. Sports minister Roxana Maracineanu on Wednesday said that the world's most prestigious cycling race, which usually draws more than 10 million fans to the roadsides, could take place with no spectators. But she also admitted that all options, including cancellation, are being considered. British Open Scheduled dates: July 16-19 -- British media reported on Friday said that the British Open at Royal St George's could be postponed within days. Over 200,000 spectators are due to attend the tournament in Sandwich. A delay could have a knock-on effect on the rest of the golf calendar, with space at a premium after the postponements of the PGA and the Masters. It is highly unlikely that the 149th Open could be held later than September due to the weather, but a delay until next year would impact plans to hold the 150th edition at St Andrews.

Hit list: What's next in line for possible coronavirus postponement

<p>Butterfly world champion Boglarka Kapas is among nine swimmers on the Hungarian national team to have tested positive for coronavirus, the country’s swimming association said in a statement late on Tuesday.</p>

<p>Dominik Kozma, who won a bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2017 worlds, has also tested positive for the fast-spreading virus that has brought global sport to a virtual standstill and led to the one-year postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.</p>

<p>“We tested everyone on the national swim team roster, as well as the staff working with the team, trainers, masseurs,” the Hungarian Swimming Association said in a statement.</p>

<p>“Results keep coming in and as of Tuesday night nine were positive.”</p>

<p>Olympic hopefuls had been attending training camps in warm climates over the past few months. The association said everyone was quarantined upon their return to Hungary and did not take part in any joint training sessions.</p>

<p>“I feel fine,” the 26-year-old Kapas, who won the 200m butterfly world title in 2019, said in a video posted on Instagram.</p>

<p>“This does not change my routine, as I have been at home anyway, going out for some fresh air to my garden at most... Even if you feel fine you should be extra careful and stay home if you can in case you carry the virus.”</p>

<p>Kozma said his second test was positive after a negative first test.</p>

<p>“I took it with mixed feelings,” he told state television. “I’m not saying I’m not scared of this. I worry about my wife.”</p>

<p>So far 525 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Hungary, while 20 people have died.</p>


Butterfly world champion Boglarka Kapas is among nine swimmers on the Hungarian national team to have tested positive for coronavirus, the country’s swimming association said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Butterfly world champion Boglarka Kapas is among nine swimmers on the Hungarian national team to have tested positive for coronavirus, the country’s swimming association said in a statement late on Tuesday. Dominik Kozma, who won a bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2017 worlds, has also tested positive for the fast-spreading virus that has brought global sport to a virtual standstill and led to the one-year postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “We tested everyone on the national swim team roster, as well as the staff working with the team, trainers, masseurs,” the Hungarian Swimming Association said in a statement. “Results keep coming in and as of Tuesday night nine were positive.” Olympic hopefuls had been attending training camps in warm climates over the past few months. The association said everyone was quarantined upon their return to Hungary and did not take part in any joint training sessions. “I feel fine,” the 26-year-old Kapas, who won the 200m butterfly world title in 2019, said in a video posted on Instagram. “This does not change my routine, as I have been at home anyway, going out for some fresh air to my garden at most... Even if you feel fine you should be extra careful and stay home if you can in case you carry the virus.” Kozma said his second test was positive after a negative first test. “I took it with mixed feelings,” he told state television. “I’m not saying I’m not scared of this. I worry about my wife.” So far 525 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Hungary, while 20 people have died.

World champion Kapas among nine Hungarian swimmers infected with coronavirus

<p class="MsoNormal">The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday donated 2,000 kilograms of rice at the iconic Belur Math – the headquarters of the Ramkrishna Mission – to help the needy during COVID-19 pandemic. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The former Indian captain had earlier announced that he will be donating rice worth Rs 50 lakh to the needy during these tough times as India continues to remain in a 21-day lockdown period to combat the deadly coronavirus.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Ganguly took to social media platform Twitter to post a few photographs of him visiting Belur Math as he captioned the images: "Visited Belur Math after 25 years, handed over 2000kgs of rice for the needy.”</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Visited belur math after 25 years .. handed over 2000kgs of rice for the needy <a href="https://t.co/FcIqHcWMh7">pic.twitter.com/FcIqHcWMh7</a></p>
— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) <a href="https://twitter.com/SGanguly99/status/1245294603571347458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rajasthan-royals-ready-to-play-shortened-ipl-2020-with-indian-players-only-ceo-ranjit-barthakur-289851" hreflang="en">Rajasthan Royals ready to play shortened IPL 2020 with Indian players only: CEO Ranjit Barthakur</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The southpaw was seen wearing a black mask while taking a tour of the famous Ramkrishna Mission headquarters with monks.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The dreaded COVID-19 has claimed around 50 lives thus far with nearly 1,700 positive cases reported in the nation. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, Ganguly has to take a big decision in coming days in relation to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. The cash-rich tournament was earlier scheduled to start from March 29 but was postponed till April 15 in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;</strong></o:p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/franchises-turn-to-whatsapp-groups-to-answer-player-queries-as-fate-of-ipl-2020-hangs-in-balance-289869" hreflang="en">Franchises turn to WhatsApp groups to answer player queries as fate of IPL 2020 hangs in balance</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">While there has been no official confirmation surrounding the cancellation of the tournament, many reports suggest that it is likely that IPL 2020 will be scrapped for the season. Other reports have suggested that the BCCI is looking for an alternate window during August-September which could lead to the postponement of Asia Cup 2020, scheduled to be played in September following which Australia will host the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 in October. <o:p></o:p></p>


The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday donated 2,000 kilograms of rice at the iconic Belur Math – the headquarters of the Ramkrishna Mission – to help the needy during COVID-19 pandemic.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday donated 2,000 kilograms of rice at the iconic Belur Math – the headquarters of the Ramkrishna Mission – to help the needy during COVID-19 pandemic. The former Indian captain had earlier announced that he will be donating rice worth Rs 50 lakh to the needy during these tough times as India continues to remain in a 21-day lockdown period to combat the deadly coronavirus. Ganguly took to social media platform Twitter to post a few photographs of him visiting Belur Math as he captioned the images: "Visited Belur Math after 25 years, handed over 2000kgs of rice for the needy.” Visited belur math after 25 years .. handed over 2000kgs of rice for the needy pic.twitter.com/FcIqHcWMh7 — Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) April 1, 2020 × ALSO READ: Rajasthan Royals ready to play shortened IPL 2020 with Indian players only: CEO Ranjit Barthakur The southpaw was seen wearing a black mask while taking a tour of the famous Ramkrishna Mission headquarters with monks. The dreaded COVID-19 has claimed around 50 lives thus far with nearly 1,700 positive cases reported in the nation. Meanwhile, Ganguly has to take a big decision in coming days in relation to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. The cash-rich tournament was earlier scheduled to start from March 29 but was postponed till April 15 in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. ALSO READ: Franchises turn to WhatsApp groups to answer player queries as fate of IPL 2020 hangs in balance While there has been no official confirmation surrounding the cancellation of the tournament, many reports suggest that it is likely that IPL 2020 will be scrapped for the season. Other reports have suggested that the BCCI is looking for an alternate window during August-September which could lead to the postponement of Asia Cup 2020, scheduled to be played in September following which Australia will host the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 in October.

Sourav Ganguly visits Belur Math, donates 2000kgs rice for the needy during COVID-19 pandemic

<p>Wimbledon looks certain to be scrapped for the first time since World War II by tournament chiefs on Wednesday as the coronavirus wreaks further havoc on the global sporting calendar.</p>

<p>The cancellation of the only grasscourt Grand Slam tournament at the All England Club would leave the tennis season in disarray after the French Open was controversially moved and all events cancelled until June 7.</p>

<p>Wimbledon, in leafy southwest London, is due to run for two weeks from June 29, with Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep set to defend their singles titles.</p>

<p>A decision to scrap the tournament is widely expected, with the world struggling to contain the spread of COVID-19, which has infected more than 840,000 people worldwide and killed over 40,000.</p>

<p>Lead-up tournaments in the short grasscourt season are also likely to be scrapped following talks on Tuesday, understood to have involved Wimbledon chiefs and the game's governing bodies.</p>

<p>Organisers had earlier ruled out playing the Grand Slam behind closed doors and postponing the event would also create its own problems.</p>

<p>Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker on Tuesday pleaded for tournament chiefs to wait longer before making a decision.</p>

<p>"I really hope Wimbledon will wait until the end of April for decision!" he tweeted. "The tourney is first week of July... patience is a virtue."</p>

<p>But former women's world number one Amelie Mauresmo, the 2006 Wimbledon champion, said the 2020 season would probably need to be scrapped.</p>

<p>"I think that we are going to have to draw a line under the 2020 tennis season," she tweeted.</p>

<p>The cancellation of Wimbledon could mean multiple champions Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Venus Williams have played at the All England Club for the final time.</p>

<p>Federer and Serena will be nearly 40 by the time of the 2021 championships and Venus will be 41.</p>

<p>Serena, beaten in last year's final by Halep, is stuck on 23 Grand Slam singles titles -- agonisingly one away from equalling Margaret Court's record.</p>

<p>The conditions required to play on grass in England mean a postponement is impractical and a date later in the summer or early autumn would mean much shorter evenings.</p>

<p>"Each week that passes, you get less and less light to play the tournament," doubles specialist Jamie Murray told the BBC.</p>

<p>American giant John Isner, who won the longest-ever tennis match over three days at Wimbledon in 2010, said the scrapping of the tournament would be a "tough pill to swallow".</p>

<p>"We may have to come to grips with the fact that we may not be playing Wimbledon this year," he told ESPN on Tuesday.</p>

<p>"Wimbledon sort of has to be played this (same) time of year," Isner said.</p>

<p>"With that surface, the event, it seems, has to be played this time and there's a good chance it won't be."</p>

<p>The French Tennis Federation provoked widespread anger with its unilateral decision to move the French Open from its original May 24 start date to begin on September 20.</p>

<p>That puts the start only one week after the planned date of the US Open men's final.</p>


Wimbledon looks certain to be scrapped for the first time since World War II by tournament chiefs on Wednesday as the coronavirus wreaks further havoc on the global sporting calendar.

Wimbledon looks certain to be scrapped for the first time since World War II by tournament chiefs on Wednesday as the coronavirus wreaks further havoc on the global sporting calendar. The cancellation of the only grasscourt Grand Slam tournament at the All England Club would leave the tennis season in disarray after the French Open was controversially moved and all events cancelled until June 7. Wimbledon, in leafy southwest London, is due to run for two weeks from June 29, with Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep set to defend their singles titles. A decision to scrap the tournament is widely expected, with the world struggling to contain the spread of COVID-19, which has infected more than 840,000 people worldwide and killed over 40,000. Lead-up tournaments in the short grasscourt season are also likely to be scrapped following talks on Tuesday, understood to have involved Wimbledon chiefs and the game's governing bodies. Organisers had earlier ruled out playing the Grand Slam behind closed doors and postponing the event would also create its own problems. Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker on Tuesday pleaded for tournament chiefs to wait longer before making a decision. "I really hope Wimbledon will wait until the end of April for decision!" he tweeted. "The tourney is first week of July... patience is a virtue." But former women's world number one Amelie Mauresmo, the 2006 Wimbledon champion, said the 2020 season would probably need to be scrapped. "I think that we are going to have to draw a line under the 2020 tennis season," she tweeted. The cancellation of Wimbledon could mean multiple champions Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Venus Williams have played at the All England Club for the final time. Federer and Serena will be nearly 40 by the time of the 2021 championships and Venus will be 41. Serena, beaten in last year's final by Halep, is stuck on 23 Grand Slam singles titles -- agonisingly one away from equalling Margaret Court's record. The conditions required to play on grass in England mean a postponement is impractical and a date later in the summer or early autumn would mean much shorter evenings. "Each week that passes, you get less and less light to play the tournament," doubles specialist Jamie Murray told the BBC. American giant John Isner, who won the longest-ever tennis match over three days at Wimbledon in 2010, said the scrapping of the tournament would be a "tough pill to swallow". "We may have to come to grips with the fact that we may not be playing Wimbledon this year," he told ESPN on Tuesday. "Wimbledon sort of has to be played this (same) time of year," Isner said. "With that surface, the event, it seems, has to be played this time and there's a good chance it won't be." The French Tennis Federation provoked widespread anger with its unilateral decision to move the French Open from its original May 24 start date to begin on September 20. That puts the start only one week after the planned date of the US Open men's final.

Wimbledon set to be cancelled for first time since WWII

<p>The New York stadium complex that hosts the iconic US Open tennis tournament every year is set to be converted into a makeshift hospital as the city of New York like the entire US continues to fight against COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens will be used as an overflow hospital space in a bid to bolster efforts to treat patients amid coronavirus pandemic. The move to convert the New York stadium complex into a hospital comes after the request from the New York City Office of Emergency Management, said Chris Widmaier, US Tennis Association spokesman.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/villas-grealish-apologises-fined-for-breaking-isolation-rules-289842" hreflang="en">Villa's Grealish apologises, fined for breaking isolation rules</a></strong></p>

<p>The Mayor of New York – Bill de Blasio – said that the overflow hospital space will have 350 beds and will admit patients tested positive for COVID-19 but do not require ICU care, starting next week. The conversion will come as a massive relief for all the hospital in New York, which has been the epicenter of COVID-19 outbreak.</p>

<p>“I think the time horizon that’s of deepest concern to New York City is April-May, and thereafter we pray that we start to come out of this, but it won’t be instant,” de Blasio told reporters at the tennis center. “August may be a very, very much better time or we may still be fighting some of these battles. We don’t know yet. By late summer, we may get some good news.”</p>

<p>The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is one of the largest tennis facilities in the world while being home to Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium and several other smaller tennis courts.</p>

<p><img alt="The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0888c5c5-9ba6-4507-acac-1b0cc443a23e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1QA921.jpg" /></p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ex-olympique-marseille-president-pape-diouf-dies-of-coronavirus-289841" hreflang="en">Ex-Olympique Marseille president Pape Diouf dies of coronavirus</a></strong></p>

<p>However, there has been no official word on the US Open, scheduled to start in late August as the tournament is still on amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.</p>

<p>The US death toll rose from 3,008 at 8:30pm EST on Monday to 3,873 at 8.30pm EST on Tuesday. And in New York, at least 1,218 people have died from COVID-19, as of Monday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As the death toll in the US rose, President Trump said the nation should be well prepared for a painful couple of weeks.</p>

<p>"This is going to be a very painful, a very, very painful two weeks," Trump said at the White House, adding," "I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead."</p>

<p>"It's absolutely critical for the American people to follow the guidelines for the next 30 days. It's a matter of life and death," the US president added.</p>


The New York stadium complex that hosts the iconic US Open tennis tournament every year is set to be converted into a makeshift hospital as the city of New York like the entire US continues to fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

The New York stadium complex that hosts the iconic US Open tennis tournament every year is set to be converted into a makeshift hospital as the city of New York like the entire US continues to fight against COVID-19 pandemic. The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens will be used as an overflow hospital space in a bid to bolster efforts to treat patients amid coronavirus pandemic. The move to convert the New York stadium complex into a hospital comes after the request from the New York City Office of Emergency Management, said Chris Widmaier, US Tennis Association spokesman. ALSO READ: Villa's Grealish apologises, fined for breaking isolation rules The Mayor of New York – Bill de Blasio – said that the overflow hospital space will have 350 beds and will admit patients tested positive for COVID-19 but do not require ICU care, starting next week. The conversion will come as a massive relief for all the hospital in New York, which has been the epicenter of COVID-19 outbreak. “I think the time horizon that’s of deepest concern to New York City is April-May, and thereafter we pray that we start to come out of this, but it won’t be instant,” de Blasio told reporters at the tennis center. “August may be a very, very much better time or we may still be fighting some of these battles. We don’t know yet. By late summer, we may get some good news.” The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is one of the largest tennis facilities in the world while being home to Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium and several other smaller tennis courts. ALSO READ: Ex-Olympique Marseille president Pape Diouf dies of coronavirus However, there has been no official word on the US Open, scheduled to start in late August as the tournament is still on amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The US death toll rose from 3,008 at 8:30pm EST on Monday to 3,873 at 8.30pm EST on Tuesday. And in New York, at least 1,218 people have died from COVID-19, as of Monday. As the death toll in the US rose, President Trump said the nation should be well prepared for a painful couple of weeks. "This is going to be a very painful, a very, very painful two weeks," Trump said at the White House, adding," "I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead." "It's absolutely critical for the American people to follow the guidelines for the next 30 days. It's a matter of life and death," the US president added.

New York City to convert US Open tennis courts into makeshift hospital for COVID-19 patients

<p>With an unprecedented captive audience of three billion people in coronavirus lockdown virtual sports events are wooing fans after traditional live sports were shut down and public gatherings banned in many countries.</p>

<p>Horse-racing, boxing, cycling, football and motor-racing chiefs are desperate to maintain their fanbase and are scrambling to provide a fix and maintain revenues.</p>

<p>With stadiums closed and events such as the Tokyo Olympics and Euro 2020 postponed, organisers are generating advertising revenue by streaming virtual sports on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch or even broadcasting them on traditional television platforms.</p>

<p>Sports is where the numbers are and fans denied real games are turning to live streaming, watching people play games, and taking part in those video games themselves.</p>

<p>Italy's Mugello motorcycling circuit, which would have attracted 200,000 people for its MotoGP weekend on Sunday, may just have pulverised that figure with a live-streamed virtual race promoted as "The stay at home GP".</p>

<p>Honda's world champion Marc Marquez came fifth as the globe's top riders sat uncomfortably on their sofas livestreaming from their living rooms.</p>

<p>Alex Rins looked bored playing with his pet dog on his knee.</p>

<p>Alex Marquez, younger brother of the world champion, won the race and asked jokingly "will the points count to the championship?".</p>

<p>Millions of fans, credit cards at the ready, are expected to copy them after downloading the app.</p>

<p>Old-school purists will be heartened by veteran Valentino Rossi's refusal to take part.</p>

<p>The seven-time world champion said this week he was "cheering on the people of Brescia and Bergamo, those who usually cheer me on. It looks like a war zone," he said of his coronavirus-stricken region.</p>

<p>"I have seen very bad images, we must hold on," he told Sky Italia, who will also broadcast the virtual race.</p>

<h2>- 'And he's back from the dead here' -</h2>

<p>Formula One chiefs have also galvanised some of their drivers to grab their gaming controllers, racing a Virtual Bahrain Grand Prix which was abbreviated because of technical difficulties.</p>

<p>Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who died in 2016, was even back in action, beating Sonny Liston again on Friday in a virtual bout with 35,000 YouTube viewers.</p>

<p>Ali will now meet the long retired Mike Tyson after he beat up George Foreman on Saturday.</p>

<p>Racing-mad Britain comes to a standstill each year for the Grand National and with the courses all closed, broadcaster ITV will show a virtual race on April 4.</p>

<p>The real race can be a&nbsp;dangerous lottery with horses and riders potentially suffering serious injuries in the many falls, but it makes millions for the bookies, who this time will run online betting for the field of 40 runners.</p>

<p>"We use the latest CGI technology and algorithms and were ready to go ahead as a forerunner to the big race," said executive producer Rob McLoughlin.</p>

<p>As with the boxing, there will also be a race of champions pitting the late Red Rum, who won the National three times in the 1970s, against defending champion Tiger Roll.</p>

<p>Baseball staged a four-player video-game tournament called&nbsp;"MLB The Show" on Friday. It also suffered some technical problems before it was won&nbsp;by Amir Garrett, a Cincinnati Reds pitcher, who played at home wearing his team uniform.</p>

<p>"A win's a win," said Garrett but he also said: "You've got to realise it's a video game."</p>


With an unprecedented captive audience of three billion people in coronavirus lockdown virtual sports events are wooing fans after traditional live sports were shut down and public gatherings banned in many countries.

With an unprecedented captive audience of three billion people in coronavirus lockdown virtual sports events are wooing fans after traditional live sports were shut down and public gatherings banned in many countries. Horse-racing, boxing, cycling, football and motor-racing chiefs are desperate to maintain their fanbase and are scrambling to provide a fix and maintain revenues. With stadiums closed and events such as the Tokyo Olympics and Euro 2020 postponed, organisers are generating advertising revenue by streaming virtual sports on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch or even broadcasting them on traditional television platforms. Sports is where the numbers are and fans denied real games are turning to live streaming, watching people play games, and taking part in those video games themselves. Italy's Mugello motorcycling circuit, which would have attracted 200,000 people for its MotoGP weekend on Sunday, may just have pulverised that figure with a live-streamed virtual race promoted as "The stay at home GP". Honda's world champion Marc Marquez came fifth as the globe's top riders sat uncomfortably on their sofas livestreaming from their living rooms. Alex Rins looked bored playing with his pet dog on his knee. Alex Marquez, younger brother of the world champion, won the race and asked jokingly "will the points count to the championship?". Millions of fans, credit cards at the ready, are expected to copy them after downloading the app. Old-school purists will be heartened by veteran Valentino Rossi's refusal to take part. The seven-time world champion said this week he was "cheering on the people of Brescia and Bergamo, those who usually cheer me on. It looks like a war zone," he said of his coronavirus-stricken region. "I have seen very bad images, we must hold on," he told Sky Italia, who will also broadcast the virtual race. - 'And he's back from the dead here' - Formula One chiefs have also galvanised some of their drivers to grab their gaming controllers, racing a Virtual Bahrain Grand Prix which was abbreviated because of technical difficulties. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who died in 2016, was even back in action, beating Sonny Liston again on Friday in a virtual bout with 35,000 YouTube viewers. Ali will now meet the long retired Mike Tyson after he beat up George Foreman on Saturday. Racing-mad Britain comes to a standstill each year for the Grand National and with the courses all closed, broadcaster ITV will show a virtual race on April 4. The real race can be a dangerous lottery with horses and riders potentially suffering serious injuries in the many falls, but it makes millions for the bookies, who this time will run online betting for the field of 40 runners. "We use the latest CGI technology and algorithms and were ready to go ahead as a forerunner to the big race," said executive producer Rob McLoughlin. As with the boxing, there will also be a race of champions pitting the late Red Rum, who won the National three times in the 1970s, against defending champion Tiger Roll. Baseball staged a four-player video-game tournament called "MLB The Show" on Friday. It also suffered some technical problems before it was won by Amir Garrett, a Cincinnati Reds pitcher, who played at home wearing his team uniform. "A win's a win," said Garrett but he also said: "You've got to realise it's a video game."

Coronavirus may prove virtual sports game changer

<p class="MsoNormal">Virat Kohli along with his wife and Bollywood superstar Anushka Sharma on Monday pledged their support to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (Maharashtra) in a bid to fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Entire India is in a 21-day lockdown period to curb the spread of the deadly virus with the positive number of cases climbing with each passing day. Sportspersons and actors have come out to support the Indian government by donating their bit in the noble cause while constantly urging their fans and followers to stay indoors amid the time of crisis.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"Anushka and I are pledging our support towards PM-CARES Fund &amp; the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (Maharashtra). Our hearts are breaking looking at the suffering of so many &amp; we hope our contribution, in some way, helps easing the pain of our fellow citizens #IndiaFightsCorona," Indian skipper Kohli tweeted on Monday.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2020-expected-to-be-cancelled-with-no-mega-auction-next-season-report-289412">IPL 2020 expected to be cancelled with no mega auction next season: Report</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Anushka and I are pledging our support towards PM-CARES Fund &amp; the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (Maharashtra). Our hearts are breaking looking at the suffering of so many &amp; we hope our contribution, in some way, helps easing the pain of our fellow citizens <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaFightsCorona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaFightsCorona</a></p>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1244497077750489090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday pledged Rs 51 crore to PM’s CARES Fund as the apex board joined the growing list of athletes to come forward and support the Indian government amid the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin among many others have pledged their support to the Indian government during these tough times.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/scrap-season-if-it-cant-be-finished-by-end-of-june-says-harry-kane-289407">Scrap season if it can't be finished by end of June says, Harry Kane</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The number of positive cases in India has crossed the 1000-mark as the country continues to remain in a stand-still. Moreover, all the sporting events and tournaments have been either cancelled or postponed. The much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 stands on the verge of being cancelled with the latest reports stating the no mega auction will take place next season.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">However, it will be interesting to see the fate of forthcoming events such as the ICC T20 World Cup and Asia Cup 2020 with organisers being optimistic that the situation may become better in the coming months. While the Asia Cup 2020 is scheduled to be held in September, the T20 World Cup will be hosted by Australia in the month of October.&nbsp;<br />
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Virat Kohli along with his wife and Bollywood superstar Anushka Sharma on Monday pledged their support to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (Maharashtra) in a bid to fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.

Virat Kohli along with his wife and Bollywood superstar Anushka Sharma on Monday pledged their support to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (Maharashtra) in a bid to fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. Entire India is in a 21-day lockdown period to curb the spread of the deadly virus with the positive number of cases climbing with each passing day. Sportspersons and actors have come out to support the Indian government by donating their bit in the noble cause while constantly urging their fans and followers to stay indoors amid the time of crisis. "Anushka and I are pledging our support towards PM-CARES Fund & the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (Maharashtra). Our hearts are breaking looking at the suffering of so many & we hope our contribution, in some way, helps easing the pain of our fellow citizens #IndiaFightsCorona," Indian skipper Kohli tweeted on Monday. ALSO READ: IPL 2020 expected to be cancelled with no mega auction next season: Report Anushka and I are pledging our support towards PM-CARES Fund & the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (Maharashtra). Our hearts are breaking looking at the suffering of so many & we hope our contribution, in some way, helps easing the pain of our fellow citizens #IndiaFightsCorona — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) March 30, 2020 × Earlier the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday pledged Rs 51 crore to PM’s CARES Fund as the apex board joined the growing list of athletes to come forward and support the Indian government amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin among many others have pledged their support to the Indian government during these tough times. ALSO READ: Scrap season if it can't be finished by end of June says, Harry Kane The number of positive cases in India has crossed the 1000-mark as the country continues to remain in a stand-still. Moreover, all the sporting events and tournaments have been either cancelled or postponed. The much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 stands on the verge of being cancelled with the latest reports stating the no mega auction will take place next season. However, it will be interesting to see the fate of forthcoming events such as the ICC T20 World Cup and Asia Cup 2020 with organisers being optimistic that the situation may become better in the coming months. While the Asia Cup 2020 is scheduled to be held in September, the T20 World Cup will be hosted by Australia in the month of October.

Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma donate to PM's CARES Fund to fight COVID-19 pandemic