(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) It wouldn't be far off the mark to say that the global coronavirus pandemic has left the Mother Earth in tatters. As countries around the world try to cope with this 'enemy,' it has not just affected the world economy but also left a permanent mark on everyone's psyche.
As everyone stays home, except for our brave frontliners, every waking moment is spent thinking about the pandemic that has claimed thousands of lives and continues to infect thousands more.
The numbers are mind-boggling, There are close to 3,200,000 cases with almost 220,000 deaths. There has been nothing as big that has affected mankind other than the world wars.
The sporting world has been no different with no events at all and all live sports television reduced to zero.
No one really knows when will this come to an end as sports bodies make contingency plans with likely dates. But that too, hasn't been set in stone.
Sports like football have already taken the first steps towards a resumption with players back in training across the various European Leagues like the English Premier League and Germany's Bundesliga.
The virus has not just created a logjam of epic proportions but also a severe headache for sports administrators around the world.
The Premier League, one of the most popular leagues in the world, are planning for a return to action in June with the clubs set to meet this Friday to chalk out plans and put protocols in place.
Football fans have been left to cope with this unexpected void when previously, they were pampered silly with action from the Premiership, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A and the Bundesliga apart from the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League, that whet their big appetite.
Having said that, even the fans will admit that this probably isn't the right time for football, or any sport, for that matter, to return to action.
UEFA, the governing body for football in Europe, has thrown a May 25 deadline for national associations to reveal their plans on restarting their domestic competitions.
The UEFA, themselves, are caught in a quicksand, with this season's Champions League and Europa League yet to reach its conclusion.
The men in suits, and in their boardrooms, may be plotting the future but no one has that crystal ball.
And more importantly, it is the players, the men who carry the weight of the show on their shoulders, who will be at the frontline, so to speak.
Football is a contact sport and it would be imprudent to put them in harm's way, no matter what the suits tell us.
Fifa, the world governing body's medical committee chairman MIchel D'Hooghe is of the view that football should not be played until at least the start of September, a decision the French government rightly has taken.
"The world is not ready for competitive football. Football remains a contact sport and contact is one of the first things everyone says that you should avoid," D'Hooghe told Sky Sports News.
England and Manchester United legend Gary Neville felt that players' lives will be put at risk.
"How many people have to die playing football in the Premier League before it becomes unpalatable? One? One player? One member of staff goes into intensive care? What risk do we have to take? The discussion is purely economic," Neville told Sky Sports Football Show.
Football is life but life is bigger than the 'beautiful game.'
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