The coronavirus pandemic has seen the majority of major sporting events be postponed, rescheduled or even cancelled, leaving many questions unanswered. While Liverpool are waiting nervously to see whether they will be in a position to claim their first Premier League title, the Formula 1 season faces getting started in October and Wimbledon having been canceled for the first time since the World War II, there are a small number of events keeping sports fans occupied during this period of uncertainty.
A handful of encounters from the world of tennis, basketball, snooker and e-sports are still taking place despite the COVID-19 outbreak, while Horse Racing is still quite active across the globe too. The virtual Grand National was a huge success, with 18/1 shot Potters Corner having come out on top, while over £2 million was raised for the NHS. Meanwhile, real-life meetings are still being completed in the US, South Africa and across Asia, with high-profile tracks including Remington Park and Oaklawn Park catering for the needs of horse racing fans, along with those looking to beat the bookies.
Football supporters are awaiting further information in terms of when the campaign will resume, with the unclear return date for the Premier League raising questions when it comes to the title, relegation and promotion. Action has now been suspended indefinitely, with very few matches now taking place across Europe. Friendly encounters in Europe and encounters from the Belarusian Premier League are the only matches found on betting sites at present.
It therefore comes as little surprise that these apps which focus mainly of football have seen a drop in general visits, with punters eagerly anticipating the return of competitive action. The Australian A-League was one of the last competitions still running, however with the league having now been suspended until the end of April at the earliest, it is perhaps time for football fans to take an interest in other sports.
While not being a competitive event, the NFL draft always makes for fascinating viewing, with the event still set to take place on the 23rd April, albeit it virtually. Teams will use the internet and phones in order to communicate during the draft, with former Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. and quarterback Joe Burrow expected to be among the most in-demand players.
Elsewhere, the sport of darts has taken the diverse step of establishing the Icons of Darts Live League, which sees players competing against each other on different boards, from their own homes. Matches are streamed live on a number of platforms, including online bookmakers, with leading names including Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and Andy Jenkins among those competing. The league will deliver matches for the next month, with matches being competed over nine legs.
The rise of e-sports over recent years has seen games like League of Legends, Counter-Strike: GO and Dota 2 become hugely popular, with organizations including Invictus, ViCi Gaming and Virtus Pro still battling it out in order to get ahead in competitions including the LPL Spring, VCS Spring Playoffs and Home Sweet Home Cup, events that are covered by many leading bookmakers.
While it remains unclear as to exactly when our favorite sports will return in full, there are still variants of them and other sports available to keep us occupied, whether you simply need something to watch or are searching for a team or player to bet on.
