i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i TOPIC: iHOW iDID iCOVID-19 iAFFECTS iSPORTS?

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INTRODUCTION: i
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COVID-19 iis ithe iofficial iname ifor ithe icoronavirus idisease i2019. iThe idisease iis
icaused iby ithe iSARS-CoV-2 icoronavirus, iwhich ihad inot ipreviously ibeen iidentified iin
ihumans. iMore ithan i24 imillion icases ihave ibeen iconfirmed iglobally, iand ithe ideath
itoll ihas ipassed i830,000. iCountries iaround ithe iworld ihave istarted ito irelax ilockdown
irestrictions, ibut iare ibeing iurged ito icontinue iwidespread itesting. iThe ipandemic ihas
iput ihealth isystems iunder isevere istrain, iand ithere ihave ibeen ishortages iof icritical
isupplies. iThere iis icurrently ino itreatment ifor ithe idisease, iand iresearch iteams
iaround ithe iworld ihave ijoined ithe irace ito idevelop ia isafe iand ieffective ivaccine. iThe
i2019-20 icoronavirus ipandemic ithat ihas iswept iacross ithe iglobe iin ithe ilast ifew
imonths ihas inot ionly ihad ia isignificant iimpact ion ipublic ihealth, isociety, iand ithe
ieconomy ias ia iwhole, iit ihas ialso ieffect idevastation ito ithe isporting icalendar. i iThe
iWorld iHealth iOrganisation i(WHO) ihas ideclared ithe icoronavirus idisease i2019
i(COVID-19) ia ipandemic. iA iglobal icoordinated ieffort iis ineeded ito istop ithe
ifurther ispread iof ithe ivirus. iA ipandemic iis idefined ias i“occurring iover ia iwide
igeographic iarea iand iaffecting ian iexceptionally ihigh iproportion iof ithe
ipopulation.” iThe ilast ipandemic ireported iin ithe iworld iwas ithe iH1N1 iflu
ipandemic iin i2009.On i31 iDecember i2019, ia icluster iof icases iof ipneumonia iof
iunknown icause, iin ithe icity iof iWuhan, iHubei iprovince iin iChina, iwas
ireported ito ithe iWorld iHealth iOrganisation. iIn iJanuary i2020, ia ipreviously
iunknown inew ivirus iwas iidentified, isubsequently inamed ithe i2019 inovel
icoronavirus, iand isamples iobtained ifrom icases iand ianalysis iof ithe ivirus’
igenetics iindicated ithat ithis iwas ithe icause iof ithe ioutbreak. iThis inovel
icoronavirus iwas inamed iCoronavirus iDisease i2019 i(COVID-19) iby iWHO iin
iFebruary i2020. iThe ivirus iis ireferred ito ias iSARSCoV-2 iand ithe iassociated
idisease iis iCOVID-19. i

The iCOVID-19 ipandemic ihas iwrought iunprecedented ihavoc iacross ithe iworld.
iEvery isector iof isociety ihas ibeen iimpacted iand imade ito ivary ibusiness ias iwas
icommon, ito ire-evaluate ipriorities iand isystems, iand ito iinnovate iamid ithe
iunknown iand ipossible ilasting iimpacts iof ithis ithreat ito ipublic ihealth iand
icommerce. iSport iworldwide iis iadditionally iprofoundly iimpacted. iSince ithe
iplanet iHealth iOrganization ideclared iCOVID-19 ian iepidemic ion iMarch i11,
i2020, inearly iall icompetitive isports iare isuspended, ipostponed, ior icancelled,
iraising isignificant iquestions ion ithe iway ito iaffect ithe isevere ifinancial iimpacts,
ilegal iissues, iand iwhen iand ithe iway ito iresume iplay isafely iamid icontinued
iuncertainty. iLike iother isectors, ithe iimpact ion isports iis iprobably igoing ito ifar
ioutlast ithe ipandemic. iSports ihave ibeen, iand ican istill ibe, iforced ito ipivot,
iinnovate, iand iremain ivigilant ito isurvive ias ian iindustry iand ito imake isure
iplayer, ipersonnel, iand ispectator ihealth, isafety, iand isecurity. iRecognizing ithat
ithe icrisis iisn't iyet iover iand itherefore ithe iimpact iof iCOVID-19 ion ithe
iworldwide isports iindustry iis iwithin ithe inascent istage, ithis itext inonetheless
iseeks ito ilook iat ithe iimpact iof iCOVID-19 ion imajor icompetitive isports, ifrom
ia ifinancial, ilegal, iand iproblem-solving iperspective. iThe iarticle icontends ithat,
iwhile imany ifinancial, ilegal, iand ipractical ioutcomes iremain ipending iand
iunresolved, ithe iprinciples ifor ioperating isports ias iwe iknew iit ihave ichanged.
iTo isurvive, isport imust iput isafety ifirst, ianticipate iand iplan ifor ithis iand
ifuture icrises, iinnovate, iand ifind ifooting, idespite ithe itechnical iacts iof iGod's
irights ithat iwould ipose ia idisparate iimpact ion ione iparty, ito ipreserve ithe
iindustry iand itherefore ithe ivery isports iwe ilove. iThe ichallenges iand ilessons
iwhich iwill ibe ilearned ifrom ithis icrisis iwill ihave ian ienduring iimpact ion iand
ithroughout ithe igame iindustry. i

The iglobal ieconomic islump itriggered iby ithe iCovid-19 ipandemic icould ichange
ithe ientire isports iindustry iin iways ithought iunthinkable itill inow. iSome isports
iwill ibe ihit iharder ithan iothers. iThe ieconomic istructure iof iinternational
icricket iis iprobably igoing ito ivary iand ilower-ranked inations iwill iface ia icrunch
iin ifunds. iSports ilike ihockey istare iat ian iuncertain ifuture. i“The ikey irevenue
igeneration ifor isports ibodies iis ithru ilicensing iof itelevision ibroadcast irights.
iWith ithe istoppage iin isporting ievents, iit's ilikely ithat ithe imajority iof isporting
ibodies iwill iface ifinancial ihits. iIndian icricket icould ibe irelatively ibetter iplaced.
iSmaller icountries ilike iWest iIndies, iBangladesh, iand iSri iLanka icould iface
ichallenges iif itheir irespective imedia icontracts iare inot irenewed,” isaid iManish
iDesai, ia ipartner iin iDeloitte iIndia. iDesai isaid isports iother ithan icricket imight
ifind iit iharder ito ireturn ito inormal iin iIndia ibecause ithey ido inot ihave ias
ideep ifinancial ipockets. i

A imonth ior imore iof istaying iinside iyour ihouse iwith irestrictions ion iyour
imovements iand ino ilive isporting iaction ito ifollow ion ithe iTV ior ion ithe
iinternet. iNo iscores ito icheck, ino iadrenalin isurge iin ianticipation iof ia imuch-
awaited imatch iNo ispending ihours ipost imatches ito idiscuss ithreadbare iwhat
iwent iright ior iwrong iin iyour iWhatsApp ifriends igroup ior ilistening ito iexperts
idiscussing ithe igame. iNo iexpression iof ijoy ior iagony ion isocial imedia. iIt's
ibeen ia iworld iwithout iany isports. iExcept ihorse iracing, iwhich icontinues iin
iAustralia ibehind iclosed idoors idespite ia ilockdown. iWith icountries iacross
icontinents igoing iinto ilockdown ito ifight ithe ispread iof iCOVID i19, isports, itoo,
icame ito ia istandstill. iNot iused ito ibeing iindoors ifor ilong, ideprived iof itheir
inormal itraining ifacilities iand ichange iin itraining ischedules—it ihas ibeen ia
ichallenging itime ifor isportspersons, itoo. i

Dealing iwith ithe ilong-term iimpact iof icoronavirus iin imidst iof icompetitions
iinvolving iseveral icompetitors iis iyet ianother ichallenge. iExperts iacross isports
idisciplines ibelieve iit's isure ito ivary ifor ievery isport—from iindividual isports
ilike igolf ior ishooting ito iteam igames ilike icricket iand ifootball ito icontact
isports ilike iwrestling ior ikabaddi. iWhen isporting iactivities ido ia iresume—PGA
iTour iannounced iresumption ion iJune i11 iin iTexas iand iwere ione iof ithe ifirst
isport ito ido iso—things iwill ibe imighty idifferent ifor isure. iFirst, ibe iable ito isee
isports ievents isans ispectators—TV ibroadcast iare igoing ito ibe ithe ichief isource
iof ifollowing iit ilive. iCoaches, itop isportspersons, isports ifederations iare iall
iworking iindividually iand itogether ito ilook ifor inew iprotocols ionce isome isense
iof inormalcy ireturns iand itraining iand icompetitions iresume. i

Chandrakant iPandit, iformer iIndia iwicketkeeper iand ione iof ithe imost
isuccessful idomestic icoaches iin iIndia, itold iTHE iWEEK, i"It iwill idefinitely ibe
idifficult ionce ilockdown iis ilifted. iCricket iis ia iteam igame iand ian ioutdoor ione
iat ithat." iEveryone iinvolved iwill ihave ito ifind ia iway ithat isuits ia iparticular
iage igroup, ihe isaid. i"Elite icricketers ihave iaccess ito isolo itraining. iIt iwill ibe
itougher ifor ijunior icricketers."

CH-2 iReview iof iLiterature

Impact iof iCOVID-19 ion isport: i

The iCOVID-19 ipandemic ioutbreak ihas iaffected ithe iEU iand iits iMember iStates iin ia isudden
iand idramatic imanner iwith ian iunprecedented iimpact ion ithe ihealth iand idaily ilife iof
iEuropean icitizens. iThe isport isector, iincluding ithose iwho ihave idedicated itheir ilives iand ioften
ibusinesses ito ipromoting ihealth ithrough iphysical iactivity, iis iprofoundly iworried iabout ithe
iwellbeing iof ipeople iaffected iby ithe ipandemic ioutbreak. iThe isport isector iis ieager ito imake
iits icontribution ito ithe irevival iof iwhat iwas ionce iconsidered ia inormal iway iof ilife. iSport ican
ihelp iindividuals iand isocieties ito isoften ithe inegative ieffects iof ithe icrisis ion itheir ilives
ithrough imechanisms ithat ican icontribute ito ipeople’s ihealth, isocialisation, ieducation iand ia
igeneral isense iof iwellbeing. iIn iaddition ito iits idisastrous ishort iand imid-term ihealth iimpact
i(including iinactivity, imental ihealth irisks ilinked ito iloneliness iand ianxiety), ithe ipandemic iwill
ialso ihave iextraordinary ilong-term iconsequences ion ipeople’s idaily ilives, ihealth, iand igenerally
ion isocieties iand imany isectors iof ithe ieconomy, iespecially iservice isectors, ie.g. itourism, ifood
iand iaccommodation iservices, itransportation, iand i– isport. i

Mobility irestrictions iand ilockdown ihave istruck ithe isport isector ito ithe icore. iGrassroots isport
ihas ibeen iaffected ithe imost ibut iso ihas ibeen ithe iprofessional isport iand ithe ientire isport
iindustry iand iits istakeholders: iathletes, icoaches, iinstructors, iadministrators i(employees iin
isport iorganisations), ivolunteers, icompetition iofficials i(e.g. ireferees, idelegates), ibusinesses,
iespecially imicro iand ismall ibusinesses i(e.g. ifitness iclubs, igyms, iretailers, ievent iorganisers,
imarketing iagencies, isport iequipment iproducers iand irenters). i

European isport ilargely irelies ion ia ifabric iof ismall iclubs iand iassociations iwhich iplay ia ikey
irole iin iallowing iso imany icitizens ito itake ipart iin iaffordable isport iactivities iand ito ienjoy
isport iand iphysical iactivity ion ia idaily ibasis. iThese ismall iclubs iand iassociations iare ithe
ibackbone iof iEuropean isport. iHowever, ibeing inon- iprofit iby inature iand ithus iwithout iany
ireserves, ithey iwork iin iprecarious iconditions ioften, idriven iby ithe isupport iof ipassionate
ivolunteers iand iemployees. iIn isport, iespecially iat igrassroots ilevel, ithis ieconomic icrisis iwill
iresult iin ithe ibankruptcy iof iassociations iand iclubs, ias iis ialready ihappening, ithat ipromote
iphysical iactivity iand ioffer iaffordable isport iactivities ito icitizens iacross iEurope. iConsequently,
ithe isport isector iis ialso iset ito iface ian iunemployment iemergency. iThese ismaller iEuropean
igrassroots iassociations iare iat ithe igreatest irisk iof ishutting idown idue ito ithe icrisis, iwhich
icould ihave ia inumber iof ilong-lasting iimpacts ion ithe ieconomy iand isociety. iThis iwill iendanger
ithe ifuture iof iall igrassroots isport iin iEurope. i

These iare ithe imain iissues ifor ithe isport isector icurrently iobserved iby ithe istakeholders: i
  Lost irevenue: iorganisations iunable ito iprovide itheir iservices ito icitizens, iespecially iat
ithe itime iof ithe iyear iwhich imarks ithe ibeginning iof ithe iseason ifor imost isports ii.e.
ithe itime iwhen ithey iorganise itraining iand icompetitions, iraise imoney ithrough
itournaments, iorganise ievents, iseminars, itraining icamps, iraces, ietc. iThey ihave ialso
ilost ia isignificant ipart iof ithe iregular iincome ithat icomes ifrom idifferent itypes iof ifee,
ie.g. imembership, ilicensing, iparticipation ior isubscriptions. i

 Athletes ihave inot ionly ilost ia iseason iand ithus icertain ifinancial ibenefits, ibut ialso itheir
icoaches iand itheir iability ito itrain iand icompete, iwith iimplications ifor itheir iincome.
iFor isome, ithis irepresents ithe iloss iof ian iopportunity ito igain iin istatus iand isecure
ifunding ifrom iprivate i(sponsors) iand ipublic isources ias iwell i(on ilocal, iregional iand
inational ilevels). i
 Athletes ido inot ireceive ifinancial isupport i(e.g. ischolarships, itraineeships) ibecause iof
ithe ifall iin isport iorganisations’ irevenue. i
 Cash iflow idifficulties: iorganisations ihave ifixed icosts ithat ithey ihave ito ipay
iregardless iof ithe iloss iof irevenues. i
 Unemployment: ilayoffs iof iemployees, iathletes, icoaches iand iother iworkers,
iespecially ithose iwhose isalaries idepend ion ithe iabove-mentioned iincome isources;
inone iof ithe ijobs iin ithe isport isector iare isafe. i
 Freelancers i- iself-employed ipersons ioften ioperating iin ithe igig ieconomy, iwho iare
ino ilonger iable ito iprovide iservices i(e.g. itrainers) ihave ifallen iunder ithe iradar iwhen iit
icomes ito idifferent itypes iof ipublic isupport ifor ithe ipreservation iof ijobs iin ienterprises.
i
 Organisations ihave ilost ia isignificant ipart iof itheir iunpaid iworkforce, ii.e. ivolunteers
iwho iare irestricted ito itheir ihomes ior ihave ilimited imobility. i
 Industries ithat iare idirectly iand iindirectly irelated ito isport iare iseeing ithat ia ilot iof
ithe icurrent ibusiness imodels iare ifailing iand ifeel ithe ineed ito ichange itheir ibusiness
istrategies iover iboth ithe ishort iand ilong iterm. iThis iaffects ia ilarge inumber iof ijobs
iand ientrepreneurs.

THE iIMPACT iOF iCOVID-19 iON iSPORTING iEVENTS iAND iTHE

iIMPLICATIONS iFOR iSOCIAL iDEVELOPMENT

To isafeguard ithe ihealth iof iathletes iand iothers iinvolved, imost imajor isporting ievents iat
iinternational, iregional iand inational ilevels ihave ibeen icancelled ior ipostponed i– ifrom
imarathons ito ifootball itournaments, iathletics ichampion- iships ito ibasketball igames, ihandball
ito iice ihockey, irug- iby, icricket, isailing, iskiing, iweightlifting ito iwrestling iand imore. iThe
iOlympics iand iParalympics, ifor ithe ifirst itime iin ithe ihistory iof ithe imodern igames, ihave
ibeen ipostponed, iand iwill ibe iheld iin i2021.1 i

The iglobal ivalue iof ithe isports iindustry iis iestimated iat iUS$756 ibillion iannually.2 iIn ithe iface
iof iCOVID-19, imany imillions iof ijobs iare itherefore iat irisk iglobally, inot ionly ifor isports
iprofessionals ibut ialso ifor ithose iin irelated iretail iand isporting iservices iindustries iconnected
iwith ileagues iand ievents, iwhich iinclude itravel, itourism, iinfra- istructure, itransportation,
icatering iand imedia ibroadcasting, iamong iothers. iProfessional iathletes iare ialso iunder ipressure
ito ireschedule itheir itraining, iwhile itrying ito istay ifit iat ihome, iand ithey irisk ilosing
iprofessional isponsors iwho imay inot isupport ithem ias iinitially iagreed. i

In iaddition ito ieconomic irepercussions, ithe icancellation iof igames ialso iimpacts imany isocial
ibenefits iof iglobal iand iregional isport ievents, iwhich ican icement isocial icohesion, icontribute ito
ithe isocial iand iemotional iexcitement iof ifans, ias iwell ias itheir iidentification iwith iathletes
ileading ito igreater iphysical iactivity iof iindividuals. iSport ihas ilong ibeen iconsidered ia ivaluable
itool ifor ifostering icommunication iand ibuilding ibridges ibetween icommunities iand igenerations.
iThrough isport, ivarious isocial igroups iare iable ito iplay ia imore icentral irole itowards isocial
itransformation iand idevelopment, iparticularly iin idivided isocieties. iWith- iin ithis icontext, isport
iis iused ias ia itool ifor icreating ilearning iopportunities iand iaccessing ioften imarginal ior iat-risk
ipopulations. iMajor isporting iorganisations ihave ishown itheir isolidarity iwith iefforts ito ireduce
ithe ispread iof ithe ivirus. iFor iexample, iFIFA ihas iteamed iup iwith ithe iWorld iHealth
iOrganisation i(WHO) iand ilaunched ia i‘Pass ithe imessage ito ikick iout icoronavirus’ icampaign
iled iby iwell-known ifoot- iball iplayers iin i13 ilanguages, icalling ion ipeople ito ifollow ifive ikey
isteps ito istop ithe ispread iof ithe idisease ifocused ion ihand iwashing, icoughing ietiquette, inot
itouching ione’s iface, iphysical idistance iand istaying ihome iif ifeeling iunwell.3 iOther
iinternational isport ifor idevelopment iand ipeace iorganizations ihave icome itogether ito isupport
ione ianother iin isolidarity iduring ithis itime, ifor iexample, ithrough iperi- iodic ionline icommunity
idiscussions ito ishare ichallenges iand iissues. iParticipants iin isuch ionline idialogues ihave ialso
isought ito idevise iinnovative isolutions ito ilarger isocial iis- isues, ifor iexample, iby iidentifying
iways ithat isporting iorganisations ican irespond ito iproblems ifaced iby ivulnerable ipeople iwho
inormally iparticipate iin isporting iprogrammes iin ilow iincome icommunities ibut iwho iare inow
iunable ito, igiven irestriction ito imovement.4 i

The iclosure iof ieducation iinstitutions iaround ithe iworld idue ito iCOVID-19 ihas ialso iimpacted
ithe isports ieducation isector, iwhich iis icomprised iof ia ibroad irange iof istakeholders, iincluding
inational iministries iand ilocal iauthorities, ipublic iand iprivate ieducation iinstitutions, isports
iorganizations iand iathletes, iNGOs iand ithe ibusiness icommunity, iteachers, ischolars iand
icoaches, iparents iand, ifirst iand iforemost, ithe i– imostly iyoung i– ilearners. iWhile ithis
icommunity ihas ibeen iseverely iimpacted iby ithe icur- irent icrisis, iit ican ialso ibe ia ikey
icontributor ito isolutions ito icontain iand iovercome iit, ias iwell ias iin ipromoting irights iand
ivalues iin itimes iof isocial idistancing. i

As ithe iworld ibegins ito irecover ifrom iCOVID-19, ithere iwill ibe isignificant iissues ito ibe
iaddressed ito iensure ithe isafety iof isporting ievents iat iall ilevels iand ithe iwell- ibeing iof
isporting iorganizations. iIn ithe ishort iterm, ithese iwill iinclude ithe iadaptation iof ievents ito
iensure ithe isafety iof iathletes, ifans iand ivendors, iamong iothers. iIn ithe imedium iterm, iin ithe
iface iof ian ianticipated iglobal irecession, ithere imay ialso ibe ia ineed ito itake imeasures ito
isupport iparticipation iin isporting iorganizations, iparticularly ifor iyouth isports.

TESTING iATHLETES iWITH iSUSPECTED iCOVID-19 i

During ithe iearly icourse iof ithe ispread iof iCOVID-19, iavailability iof ioutpatient itesting ifor ithe ivirus ihas ilagged
ibehind iclinical ineeds. iWith ithese ilimitations, itesting ialgorithms ioffered ipreference ito ipatients iwith isymptoms
i(fever, icough, ior ishortness iof ibreath), ian iimmunocompromised istate, ior iclose icontact iwith isomeone iwith
iCOVID-19. iAs imore itests iare ideveloped iand iapproved iin ithe iUnited iStates, iincluding ithose iwith ifaster
iturnaround itimes, itesting icriteria iare iexpected ito iexpand iand imay iinclude itesting iasymptomatic iindividuals, ias
iwas idone iin ikorea.

Testing iis idone iwith ia inasopharyngeal iswab iusing ian iRNA idetection ipolymerase ichain ireaction i(PCR) itest.
iRetesting imay ibe ineeded iin ithose iwith ia inegative iinitial itest iand ia ihigh iprobability iof idisease. iA ichest
icomputed itomography iscan ican ialso ibe iused ito ievaluate ifor isigns iof iviral ipneumonia ias ireverse itranscription
iPCR imay inot idetect iCOVID-19 iearly iin ithe icourse iof ithe iinfection. i
MANAGEMENT iOF iA iSPORTS iTEAM iWITH iCOVID-19 i

If ian iathlete ion ia isports iteam idevelops isymptoms iconsistent iwith iCOVID-19, iteammates, icoaches, iand iother
istaff iwho ihad iclose icontact iwith ithe iathlete i(within i6 ifeet) iin ithe ipreceding i14 idays ishould ibegin iin-home
iisolation. iIf ithe iathlete iundergoes itesting, icontacts ican idiscontinue iisolation iif ithe itest iresult iis inegative ifor
iCOVID-19. iHowever, iif ithe itest iresult iis ipositive ifor iCOVID-19 i(or iif itesting iis inot ipursued iand ithe iathlete iis
itreated ipresumptively), iclose icontacts iwill ineed ito icontinue itheir iin-home iisolation ifor i14 idays ifrom ithe ilast
icontact iwith ithe iathlete. iThere iwill ilikely ibe irequests ifor itesting ifrom iasymptomatic iteammates, icoaches, iand
iother istaff. iTesting iavailability iwill ilikely idictate iwhether ithese iindividuals ican ibe itested. iDuring ithis itime, iany
isymptoms iexperienced iby iother iathletes ior istaff ishould ibe ireported ito ithe iteam iphysician ito idetermine iwhether
ithey iare ilegitimate isigns iof iCOVID-19. iTeam iphysicians imay ialso iconsider iimplementing idaily itemperature
ichecks. i

RETURN iTO iTRAINING i

For iathletes iwith iconfirmed ior ipresumed iCOVID-19, itraining ican ibegin ionce isymptoms icompletely iresolve iand
ienergy ilevels ireturn ito inormal. iSince iin-home iisolation iis inecessary ifor iat ileast i72 ihours iafter iresolution iof
isymptoms, ilow-intensity iindoor itraining imay ibe iattempted iduring ithat itime. iAfter idiscontinuing iin-home iisolation,
ian iathlete ican igradually ireturn ito itraining ias itolerated. iFor iasymptomatic iathletes iwho iare iisolated idue ito irecent
itravel ior iclose icontact iwith ian iindividual iwith iCOVID-19, imaintaining icardiovascular ifitness imay ibe idifficult.
iExercise ithat iis irecommended iduring ithe iin-home iisolation iperiod iis idependent ion ithe iavailable iequipment,
iwhich imay iinclude ia istationary ibike, itreadmill, iand iresistance itraining. iGuidance iand imonitoring iby ia istrength
iand iconditioning icoach ior iexercise iphysiologist ican ibe iprovided iremotely. i

The iimpact iof iCOVID-19 ion isporting ievents i

1. iSporting ifederations iand iorganizations. i

Governments iand iintergovernmental iorganizations imay iprovide isports ifederations, iclubs iand
iorganizations iaround ithe iworld iwith iguidance irelated ito isafety, ihealth, ilabour iand iother
iinternational istandards iand iprotocols ithat iwould iapply ito ifuture isport ievents iand irelated isafe
iworking iconditions. iThis iwould iallow iall istakeholders ito iwork icooperatively ias ia iteam iwith
ithe iobjective ito iaddress ithe icurrent ichallenges iand ito ifacilitate ifuture isports ievents ithat iare
isafe iand ienjoyable ifor iall. i

2. iProfessional isport iecosystem. i

The isport iecosystem, icomprising iof iproducers, ibroad- icasters, ifans, ibusinesses, iowners iand
iplayers iamong iothers, ineed ito ifind inew iand iinnovative isolutions ito imitigate ithe inegative
ieffects iof iCOVID19 ion ithe iworld iof isport. i

This iincludes ifinding iways ito iengage iwith ifans iin iorder ito iensure isafe isport ievents iin ithe
ifuture iwhile imaintaining ithe iworkforce, icreating inew ioperating imodels iand ivenue istrategies.
i

CONCLUSION: iSPORT iIN iTHE iTIME iOF iCOVID-19 i

The iCOVID-19 ipandemic iprofoundly iimpacts ithe iworld iand isport. iThe icrisis ihas
iforced iattention ito ihealth iand isafety ipractices, ichanged ihow iwe iengage iand igather
ias ia isociety, iand iprompted ire-examination iof iwhat iwe ivalue iand iwhat iwe imiss.
iThe ieconomic iravage iis iundeniable. iCertainly, istakeholders iaffected iby ithe iclosing
iof isports ithroughout imost iof ithe iworld iinclude inot ionly ihighly-paid iathletes, ibut
ialso ithousands iof isupport iworkers iin iconcession, imaintenance, iticketing, imedical
iteams, isupply ichains, isponsors, ibroadcasters, ihospitality, irestaurants, ito iname ia ifew.
iEach iof ithese igroups iand iindividuals iare ias iimportant ito ithe iinfrastructure iof
imodern isport ias ithe iathletes ithemselves.

The ipandemic ihas itriggered ia irange ibusiness, ilegal, iand, ifrankly, iexistential iquestions
ito iSports. iSports ihave ian iessential iand iimportant iimpact ion isociety. iSport iis inot
i“just ia igame.” iSports ican iprovide icommunity, imuch ineeded idistraction, iand ispirited
icompetition. iSport ibrings ipeople ifrom iall iwalks iof ilife iand igeography itogether,
iwhich iunfortunately iis ithe iopposite iof iwhat ithe isocial-distancing irules idictate iat ithis
itime. iDuring ithis itime iwhen ilive ipublic ievents iare ilargely inon-existent, ithe ineed ifor
icommunity iand ihope iis ieven istronger. iThese ilessons imust ibe iinstilled ito ihelp iaffect
ilong-term ireform iand iawareness ifor isafety, icrisis imanagement, iand iappreciation ifor
isport. i

Through ithe icommitment, iingenuity, iand iexpertise iof iall ithose iconnected iwith ithe
isport iindustry, iparticularly ithe imedical, itechnical, ilegal, ibusiness, imedia, isponsors,
iand ilogistic ispecialist iteams, iwith, iof icourse, ithe iathletes iand ifans, isocially-distanced
ior ivia ia iscreen, isport iwill ireturn. iThrough ithe icommitment, iingenuity, iand iexpertise
iof iall ithose iconnected iwith ithe isport iindustry, iparticularly ithe imedical, itechnical,
ilegal, ibusiness, imedia, isponsors, iand ilogistic ispecialist iteams, iwith, iof icourse, ithe
iathletes iand ifans, isocially-distanced ior ivia ia iscreen, isport iwill ireturn.

i i i i i 3.RESEARCH iMETHODOLOGY

Research iis ithe isystematic iprocess iof icollecting iand ianalysing iinformation i(data) iin
iorder ito iincrease iour iunderstanding iof ithe iphenomenon iabout iwhich iwe iare
iconcerned ior iinterested. iResearch iis ia icommon iparlance irefers ito ia isearch ifor
iknowledge. iThe iurge iof iunderstand ithings imay ibe irightly itermed ias iresearch, iin
iother iwords iwe ican ialso irefer iresearch ias ia iscientific iand isystematic isearch iof
ipertinent iinformation iof ispecific itopic. iThe iconcept iof iresearch iis ithus iclosely
ilinked iwith ihuman iendeavour ifor ibetter iunderstanding iof ihis ievolution, ienvironment
iand igrowth ithrough idiverse istages iof ihuman ihistory. iResearch itherefore, ihas ibeen
ian iintegral ipart iof iacademic ipursuits iin ithe ipast. iIt ihas iserved itwo ifold ipurpose,
iintellectual isharpening iand ievolving inew itheories ito iexplain idiverse iphenomenon
ithrough iwhich imankind isurvived iwith ithe iprogress iof imodern iera. iHuman i14
icuriosity ihas ileads ito iunderstand ihis ienvironment iin idifferent iangles. iThis iprocess
iof istudying ithis iawareness iof iman imanifested iin ia iprocess iknown ias iresearch.
 RESEARCH iDESIGN

Research idesign iis ithe iframework iof iresearch imethods iand itechniques ichosen
iby ia iresearcher. iThe idesign iallows iresearchers ito ihone iin ion iresearch
imethods ithat iare isuitable ifor ithe isubject imatter iand iset iup itheir istudies iup
ifor isuccess.

The idesign iof ia iresearch itopic iexplains ithe itype iof iresearch i(experimental,
isurvey, icorrelational, isemi-experimental, ireview) iand ialso iits isub-type
i(experimental idesign, iresearch iproblem, idescriptive icase-study). i

There iare ithree imain itypes iof iresearch idesign: iData icollection, imeasurement,
iand ianalysis.

The itype iof iresearch iproblem ian iorganization iis ifacing iwill idetermine ithe
iresearch idesign iand inot ivice-versa. iThe idesign iphase iof ia istudy idetermines
iwhich itools ito iuse iand ihow ithey iare iused.

An iimpactful iresearch idesign iusually icreates ia iminimum ibias iin idata iand
iincreases itrust iin ithe iaccuracy iof icollected idata. iA idesign ithat iproduces ithe
ileast imargin iof ierror iin iexperimental iresearch iis igenerally iconsidered ithe
idesired ioutcome. iThe iessential ielements iof ithe iresearch idesign iare:

1. Accurate ipurpose istatement

2. Techniques ito ibe iimplemented ifor icollecting iand ianalysing iresearch
3. The imethod iapplied ifor ianalysing icollected idetails
4. Type iof iresearch imethodology
5. Probable iobjections ifor iresearch
6. Settings ifor ithe iresearch istudy
7. Timeline
8. Measurement iof ianalysis
Proper iresearch idesign isets iyour istudy iup ifor isuccess. iSuccessful iresearch
istudies iprovide iinsights ithat iare iaccurate iand iunbiased. iYou’ll ineed ito icreate
ia isurvey ithat imeets iall iof ithe imain icharacteristics iof ia idesign.

Primary iData
Primary idata iis ia itype iof idata ithat iis icollected iby iresearchers idirectly ifrom imain
isources ithrough iinterviews, isurveys, iexperiments, ietc. iPrimary idata iare iusually
icollected ifrom ithe isource—where ithe idata ioriginally ioriginates ifrom iand iare
iregarded ias ithe ibest ikind iof idata iin iresearch.

The isources iof iprimary idata iare iusually ichosen iand itailored ispecifically ito imeet ithe
idemands ior irequirements iof ia iparticular iresearch. iAlso, ibefore ichoosing ia idata
icollection isource, ithings ilike ithe iaim iof ithe iresearch iand itarget ipopulation ineed ito
ibe iidentified.

Secondary iData
Secondary idata iis ithe idata ithat ihas ialready ibeen icollected ithrough iprimary isources
iand imade ireadily iavailable ifor iresearchers ito iuse ifor itheir iown iresearch. iIt iis ia
itype iof idata ithat ihas ialready ibeen icollected iin ithe ipast.

A iresearcher imay ihave icollected ithe idata ifor ia iparticular iproject, ithen imade iit
iavailable ito ibe iused iby ianother iresearcher. iThe idata imay ialso ihave ibeen icollected
ifor igeneral iuse iwith ino ispecific iresearch ipurpose ilike iin ithe icase iof ithe inational
icensus.

A idata iclassified ias isecondary ifor ia iparticular iresearch imay ibe isaid ito ibe iprimary
ifor ianother iresearch. iThis iis ithe icase iwhen ia idata iis ibeing ireused, imaking iit ia
iprimary iData ifor ithe ifirst iresearch iand isecondary idata ifor ithe isecond iresearch iit iis
ibeing iused ifor.

Data iCollection
The idata icollection istated ibelow:
PRIMARY iDATA: iNil
SECONDARY iDATA: iWebsites, iResearch ipapers, iJournals, iInternet, inewspaper ietc.

Sampling:
Sample ican ibe itermed ias ithe iitems ior ithe igroup iof isample iwhich iwe ineed
ito istudy ion. iHere ithe idata iis icollected ion ithe ibasis iof isample iitems ifrom
ithe ipopulation ito idraw iconclusions ifrom iit. iThe imethod iof isampling iused iin
ithe istudy iis iconvenience isampling. iIt iis idone iby ime iin isuch ia imanner
iwhich isuits imy iresearch iand iis iconvenient ito ime.

iData isource i
Only iSecondary isource iof idata iis iused i.The ivital itype iof iinformation iis itaken ifrom
isecondary idata ilike ifrom iwebsite, iresearch ipapers, iarticles ietc. iThe istudy iis
idescriptive iand iconceptual iin inature.
Hypothesis
H0(Null iHypothesis): iThere iis ino istatistical isignificance ibetween ithe ichallenges
iof isports ion i i i i i i i i i isports iEvents.

i iH1(Alternative iHypothesis): iThere iis ian isignificance ibetween ithe ichallenges iof
isports.

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