Most of us had never thought we would see a time like this. Football fans watched games played virtually over computer screens and an event like the Ironman triathlon involving times for swimming, cycling and running were kept by a specially designed app and each competitor went through the various stages of the grueling event alone, safely distanced from his peers, as the computer calculated the winner.

These, however, are the demands of an age ravaged by COVID-19. As with so many other aspects of life it has changed everything. Virtual sports has allowed fans caught in a landscape from which sport had suddenly disappeared completely from lives to discover it at least in some form. Top tennis players have competed in events contested virtually from the safety of their own homes while top tennis commentators such as John McEnroe have commented on their performances in typical fashion. Sports have then been able to reappear even in a time when we are all locked away from each other and forced to maintain social distancing.

For some time this may be the future of sport and possibly even major tournaments. Right now it is hard to say when sports facilities will reopen across the world and when it will be possible to hold events which require participants to be in close proximity.

Given the need to keep some competition alive among Sportsmen and women both so that they can stay in shape at least to some degree and to give a chance to audiences to follow their performances, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) along with the concerned federations and the international federations to which they are affiliated have done well to begin online competitions and generate interest both among athletes and followers.

For this purpose the Pakistan Karate Federation has already organised an online tournament featuring kata by both male and female players. The event was well held in professional hall naturally without an audience and was judged by qualified officials. The Taekwondo Federation plans to follow suit and a shadowboxing event has also been planned. The karate event has been televised encouraging other sporting setups to follow. The Pakistan Swimming Federation has planned its own fitness tournament for its swimmers a little later in the year.

“It seemed nearly impossible to even think about any sporting competition. But now, I am planning to arrange a proper badminton competition following all the rules, with no audience, at my club,” Muhamamd Azam, 18, told The News on Sunday. “This is a really good idea,” he added, mentioning he had seen the karate event.

The initiatives taken show how much is possible even at a time when no visible sporting competition can be seen on the fields in the country. The federations and the POA both deserve praise for the efforts. In an era where sport other than cricket is virtually ignored by both our government and major institutions set up to promote sports perhaps this initiative can offer new hope to sportsmen ranging from those at school to those who complete internationally.

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