The coronavirus pandemic may have brought a halt to the play of almost all sporting leagues across the world but it certainly hasn’t stopped the outpouring of support from fans to athletes and also from athletes and those involved in sport in their efforts to help in the community.
A group of Premier League footballers including Hector Bellerin, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Reece James, Andros Townsend and Callum Wilson have launched #FootballUnited, a program with the aim of raising £100,000 to aid communities against the pandemic.
The movement has grown exponentially since its inception, with many more footballers pledging their support and the initiative is now partnered with the National Emergencies Trust.
In addition to the sizable financial donations made by some of sports biggest names such as Roger Federer, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, many other athletes have donated signed merchandise and memorabilia that will be auctioned off to raise money for the Athletes For COVID-19 Relief.
It’s not just financial aid that athletes and sporting executives have provided as the NBA, in an attempt to promote social distancing and encourage people to stay indoors, have made their streaming service, NBA League Pass available for free until April 22nd.
This enables fans access to re-watch all of the games that have taken place so far this season and relive some of the most iconic games in NBA history.
It’s also clear that once the coronavirus pandemic hopefully subsides, Premier League teams look set to express their gratitude to medical workers in the UK that are helping affected patients. Top-flight clubs Brighton and Bournemouth have already signed on to a campaign to thank medical workers with 100,000 free football tickets once the current season hopefully resumes.
The Inbound Observer 