Fans give mixed reviews on impact of sports postponement

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By Carlena Knight

“Withdrawal symptoms,” “It has been a breath of fresh air to spend more time at home,” these were only a few of the mixed responses from local sporting fans as they shared how the recent postponement of all sporting activities is affecting them.

Last Friday, the Ministry of Sports issued a press release banning all domestic sporting events for a thirty-day cycle in the country and on the regional and international scene, a number of the major sporting leagues such as the NBA, English Premier League and Cricket West Indies events have been called off.

One fan shared that the postponement has now had a negative effect on them.

“Watching sports for me was a form of entertainment before the carnival season began. It was something for me to do on the weekends where I could just go, not dress up too much, I could kick back, a good laugh, a good talk, enjoy a cold beer and relax. Due to the postponement, there is nothing for me to do on weekends after a long stressful week. I have no outlet. I have no way to relieve my stress, I have nothing to laugh about, nothing to be excited about, nothing to laugh about. I know sports is not the only thing but it is one of the cheapest things and is the next best thing in a country where there’s not much to do.

“Going to sporting activities was a way of you and you friends having good camaraderie, and I understand the seriousness of the situation, but for people like me, that’s taking the fun out of my weekends.”

Another fan says the postponement hits even closer to home as sports was a means of finance.

“Well honestly, the postponement has been really tough on me because I work in sports, my life revolves around sports so it’s been really hard adapting to the change. There’s no sports locally, there’s no sports regionally, there’s no sports internationally, so for someone that eats, sleeps and breathes sports it’s a big adjustment.”

One fan however says that the postponement was in fact a blessing in disguise.

“I really miss the sports, but every disappointment is a blessing, and the blessing is there is more time to spend with my family and other things, but hey everything will get back on track. We just have to be patient and trust in God and do the right things and follow the right health tips. We will bounce back and bounce back stronger than ever.”

Many of our athletics teams also had to cancel participation in a number of events, the most recent being CARIFTA Games which was scheduled for the Easter weekend in Bermuda.

One athlete who wished not to be named says this cancellation was a big disappointment as he was preparing vigorously for the event.

The Summer Olympics scheduled for Japan in July is the one of the only major sporting events that still remains on the cards, but with a number of reports, a final decision will be made.

With the world focused mostly on the health and economic impact of the virus, it is still evident that the loss of sports is powerful.

It plays many roles for us – a thrill, a source of perennial disappointment, employment and an escape from every-day life.

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