World Health Organization says large crowds for sporting events are unrealistic this year

August 6, 2020

The World Health Organization has today advised that it will be “unrealistic” to expect large numbers of spectators to be able to attend sports events this year in countries still affected by “community-level transmission” of Coronavirus.

Speaking in a live online discussion, WHO Emergencies Director Michael Ryan said it could be “disastrous” to allow the return of sports with tens of thousands of people attending.

AFP reported that Ryan explained “large crowds of 40, 50, 60,000 people – it’s not just the risk of being in the stadium, it’s the risk of going to the stadium ... where thousands of people go on the same public transport to a venue, get involved in the social aspects before a game, be involved in the game and then all of the social aspects after.

"In the context of community transmission, that could be disastrous.”

While numerous sporting events around the world because of Coronavirus have been postponed or cancelled, of which the Tokyo Olympic Games has been the most high profile, Ryan did not address limited numbers of fans having been allowed back into sports events in several countries under strict anti-virus guidelines.

Baseball and football leagues in both Japan and South Korea have reopened stadiums to fans while in Australia, restricted numbers have been allowed into venues for sporting competitions.

In addition, having been successful in containing Coronavirus outbreaks, New Zealand lifted restrictions on supporters attending Super Rugby Aotearoa games as of late June.

Ryan added "we may have to expect that as things open up, we go from having no-one at the games to maybe 1,000 and 2,000. We all want our sport back. We’re just going to have to be careful for a good bit longer.

“It’s very unrealistic in countries with community transmission that we’re going to be seeing large gatherings like that this year. Right now, it’s hard to see those fully reopened venues.”

Image: Fans watch the resumption of AFL at Perth's Optus Stadium.

3rd August 2020 - Concerns over social distancing failures sees venues move to reduce crowd capacities

2nd August 2020 - Concerns over crowds’ failure to social distance during NRL clash at Sunshine Coast Stadium

10th July 2020 - China bans international sporting events until 2021

26th July 2020 - NRL broadcasts lose more than a million viewers since competition restart

13th July 2020 - Optus Stadium prepares for AFL fixtures this week

3rd July 2020 - AFL’s Victorian teams to move interstate

25th June 2020 - Victorian fans to be prevented from attending NRL and AFL games in NSW

9th June 2020 - AFL season restart to see 2,000 fans at Adelaide Oval on Saturday

6th June 2020 - Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium ready to claim world first with return of fans

5th June 2020 - NSW Government to allow corporate boxes to operate at NRL fixtures from next week

5th June 2020 - Eden Park Chief Executive ‘thrilled’ at prospect of again welcoming fans to watch live sport

26th May 2020 - NRL’s goal to have crowds in stadiums in July described as ‘absurd and dangerous’ by Australian Medical Association

25th May 2020 - Stadiums prepare for NRL return

20th May 2020 - Global sports sponsorship market predicted to fall by 37% this year

6th February 2020 - UN launches international program to enhance security of major sporting events

31st January 2020 - Coronavirus declared global health emergency by World Health Organization

24th July 2019 - World Health Organization promotes physical activity action plan at National Sports Convention

13th October 2015 - Sport included in United Nations development goals

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