As we now know all too well, coronavirus has brought the world of sport – and the whole world in general – to a halt. League after league has fallen to COVID-19, suspending play with no realistic return date.
The European Championships have been postponed until 2021 to help leagues and continental competitions cope with the delayed schedule.
However, there are still some leagues carrying on, mostly behind closed doors. Below is a roundup of the leagues still soldiering on in the midst of the COVID-19 uncertainty
Belarusian Premier League
The Belarus Premier League is currently the only major football division operating in Europe, with matches taking place over the weekend, including BATE’s 1-0 win over Ruh Brest and reigning champions FC Dynamo Brest’ defeat to Slavia Mozyr. Ten matches are slated for this weekend.
Nicaraguan Football League
While most countries have suspended sports activities as part of measures to combat the virus, it is business as usual in Nicaragua. Nicaraguan Soccer Federation General Secretary José María Bermúdez told the AS newspaper on April 6 that European TV stations had asked to televise their soccer games, but the sports calendar in Nicaragua does not only include soccer. Boxing, baseball and marathons are also taking place as authorities do what they can to allow life to carry on.
With nine confirmed coronavirus cases and one death, Nicaragua is the Central American country with the lowest number of reported cases, while its neighbors Honduras and Costa Rica have 419 and 626 respectively.
Burundian Football League
Burundi’s domestic football competition continued up until this week when this weekend fixtures were suspended indefinitely.
The FFB decided to continue the season after a meeting with clubs, whereupon players were told not to celebrate goals together and to keep their distance from referees.
In addition, players were told to wash their hands before a match and not to shake hands with officials or other players.
“If there are signs of the virus spreading, we will stop the championship,” FFB president Ndikuriyo Reverien told BBC Sport Africa.
“We are going to play and at the same time we will constantly stay in touch with the Health Ministry.”