Opinion – Marina Izidro: Ômicron shakes sporting events, and unvaccinated ones will be increasingly excluded

If someone tells you that they know for sure how the world will be in 2022, whether it’s too optimistic or too pessimistic, be suspicious. The pandemic has taught us that we have no control over anything, and while booster doses of the coronavirus vaccine reach the arms of many around the world and we think our lives will finally return to normal, a new variant shows us hard reality. You can’t nail what the new year will be like. Sport follows the same path. But we can, yes, have an idea.

The start of 2022 should not be an easy one. In Europe, the discussion about matches without a public and suspension of championships is still going strong. Two weeks ago, I told in my column how the UK was approaching a staggering 100,000 cases a day. Now, the number is close to 200 thousand and omicron is dominant in the country. The Premier League continues with postponed matches and Covid-19 spurts at clubs – Aston Villa’s Steven Gerrard, Crystal Palace’s Patrick Vieira, and Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta are among coaches who have tested positive recently.

The vaccination passport for fans has become mandatory in England. In the debate on ways to deal with the virus, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City coach, defended the use of masks in any public space in the country – outdoors was never mandatory. Wales was tougher and all sporting events are being played with closed gates.

Something is certain: the unimmunized, athletes or spectators, will be increasingly excluded from the sport. The Australian Tennis Open starting in January will require proof of vaccination. And the Beijing Winter Olympics, starting on February 4, will be one of the most restricted in history.

Those who are not vaccinated with two doses will face a 21-day quarantine upon entering China and, even those who have already taken it, will undergo daily tests. Everyone will be in a bubble with limited movement. Foreign viewers are prohibited. Locals will be able to clap their hands, without shouting, so as not to spread droplets of saliva.

But the year has an exciting side. It will be busy for Olympic sports in a shorter cycle of preparation for the 2024 Paris Games. The main world championships are confirmed, such as athletics in the United States, men’s volleyball in Russia and women’s volleyball in Poland and Holland and the of Artistic Gymnastics in Liverpool, England.

The UK, by the way, dreams big. In 2022, it will also host the British Commonwealth Games, the Women’s European Cup, as well as traditional tournaments such as Wimbledon tennis. There is an expectation of announcing a possible joint bid with Ireland to host the 2030 World Cup or the European Cup in 2028 or 2032. Good for sport and for the economy. A recent study predicts that hosting major sporting events in the coming years could generate the equivalent of R$28 billion for the British in trade, investment and “soft power” – something extremely important in the post-Brexit period.

By 2024 will the nightmare be over? Paris 2024 organizers hope so. They promise an Olympics with a party, public, without restrictions. But they announced that they have a plan B in case the pandemic is still with us. Optimism with caution seems to be the recipe for the year ahead. May it be a 2022 with sport and health for everyone.