A crisis for democracy is a crisis of concentration the bottom line. What are the financial and psychological costs of the coronavirus to the sporting world the olympics is the latest major event to be disposed of. What will be the impact on athletes families and businesses this is inside story. Hello and welcome to the program burnitz 3 a limpid games have been canceled in the past because of the 2 world wars but this year is the 1st time the event has ever been postponed coronavirus pandemic made it impossible to hold the olympics and paralympics in tokyo. Australian calibur said they wouldnt send teams to japan because of the risk to health some qualifying events have already been cancelled and Global Travel bans made it nearly impossible for athletes and fans to plan flights the games organizers promise the worlds biggest sporting event will take place before summer next year as a symbol of triumph over the virus the delay will cost the japanese government businesses and sponsors billions of dollars and that the more want less i think its reasonable to postpone for a year i think its important and an inevitable decision. But i feel bad for the people who were looking forward to it and the athletes who waited and trained for 4 years im also worried about the japanese economy. Good guy inc said it but it is disappointing for sure but when you think about the health of the athletes as well as that of the spectators i understand the Novel Coronavirus is spreading so quickly around the world and this is a very serious issue internationally the olympics is just the latest sporting event to be affected by the pandemic hundreds of tournament and competitions worldwide are either on hold or cancel matches in europe is hugely popular and lucrative football leagues are all perspire own the formula one season opening race in australia 2 weeks ago was canceled. The french open tennis tournament in paris is now pushed back to september and indias premier League Cricket is already perspire own until next month organizers are now under pressure to cancel it altogether after the Prime Minister ordered all 1300000000 indians to stay at home. Lets bring in our panel joining us from london is gail emms a badminton silver medalist for Team Great Britain in the 2004 athens olympics from dublin in the republic of ireland tiger mcintyre a lecturer in sports and performance psychology from reading in the u. K. James read an associate professor at the university of reading welcome to you all thanks for joining us a question for all of you and ill start though with you gail was canceling the olympics or the olympics rather the right thing to do. Absolutely i think so much when you feel i think it was frustrating that it takes so long to announce that we should resign actually that that is left in him by when he was sure that the. Order was by again that he was some even the uncle he had to lie and lie i understand this and not to be considered as a no money race man and that just that when it comes to you a huge decision by a french athlete who has written by 50 preparing for that as great for all. The questions have to be my part for that person for that for that physical and Mental Health and the whole goal of the whole 3 doesnt have to make it the right one now its done that should be made an athlete and then prepare for what for the next year and the start of start adopting come to terms with that and also we just dont know about the spread of our if and when the thing to end the play that is that the. Any athlete by my completion and now it sounds funny. Seems that there was little choice was there for the i. O. C. But to postpone yeah and im really impressed with gail the. Conclusions there you mean were really talking about the athletes voices has pushed this move the speed of it was in acted upon because of. Groups and surveys across different federations to find out what their views were and economic about it on their Current Conditions its untenable for you know people out to water sports to have to train on the on the on and ergo in their gym or in their garridge or people out to sprint hurdles to be training in the crosscountry trail by themselves so the magnitude of this is being recognized by outlets ive looked at a lot of athletes post on this and theyve been talking about you know theres something bigger than us here they really do recognize the thrash and they also recognize that their challenge will move on to a different different timeline james i know the economics of sports is one of your speciality but was there really little option left in from what youve been reading in your view but to postpone. Absolutely no alternatives really i mean the athletes couldnt get there and of course you know the safety of our troops have to be the most important thing were allowed to watch but yes its so maybe its. A trivial thing in the grand scheme of things when were talking to lives and deaths as though it with a groan why it was but we love watching us all it gives a great distraction to get israel to taman that excitement is i dont know its firm but it cant be that if you know so even if the athletes count even get there because they couldnt get the moment given the trouble in place all around the world you know algeria had to become it was quite strange took so long loosing was in better from an optics perspective for the announcement job in its counsel than will deal with the details later that would have been a much more proactive stance for them to take in but it is what it is and work decisions not been taken tiger i think we know that the consensus among athletes was to perspire on the olympics but for example britains double olympic taekwondo star jade jones she spoke of her devastation you give your heart and soul to something for 4 years she says and then for it not to go ahead is just a horrible what is the mental effect going to be on athletes now that this has been perspire and its where its a really interesting time you know. Absolutely theres going to be you know devastation thats going to be anxiety there were there was a great release for many athletes and relief from that the pressure that they thought theyd have to train under these conditions but for some other needs you know theyve been locked into this 1600 day cycle and its its obviously very precious to them and thats thats important too we have to do is provide support so those athletes that you know are struggling to deal with it and itll take time probably for all ottley to take a bit of time to get through this all athletes are adoptable i mean the kids. Thing about sport competition is people voluntary put themselves into a pressurized environment they have psychological skills they have capacities not just individual but collectively to deal with this and i think thats you know whats been really really clear to me is the athlete support for one another through this challenge is going to be really important and their voices are being heard by one another and we need to support those for whom its a struggle and we know we know others i read today about jessica foxs you know multiple World Championship medalist and that medicine can you solomon she talked about you know we have to adopt i mean this adopts abilities what athletes do they adopt to different conditions may take a bit of time they meet may need some support around us but the great thing is athletes do have skills in adopting to different circumstances gayla so you know doing away that you of course of be now youve built up to taking part in a lympics how would you have felt had it been taken this opportunity taken away from you how would you do how do you tell people teach people to deal with it. Hussen a baby like someone had grabbed my hearts and put it out and transferred her leg that puts me in the stomach when i go again that is exactly how this out if i was in the race and even think i and many actually a pinnacle to a. Little girl or a little boy and whats this the well poor thing the worlds great to get than a new look at the cheap big chain your nation on and i want to see that i will and that golden entry that carries you through every single horray training and i mean that horrible are really very horrible and when i read the outsiders that are running and when your hunting they are meant to make you keep your head that one that youll be a little when im going to actually live in my country thats great so when not taken away. Its just horrific if there were beating the only way i can kind of charming describe it to people is that you are your revised thinking exam of your entire life and then for me i can see that and more its a chance i shall be able to create krishi a case for all the hard work that is trying that said they want to show me what they would be by friday i was that was a fantastic time doing that and taken away now it and there is like. That that mumbai meant. That time of the red the competition whatever it has been faced by wrong but you know that big when when i hear of a plea in the olympic final or maybe get on that of the bat is now completely gone but its back he. It would be. Horrible and you know my way. To get over it will take time that i grew because. Its like writing you know so has a place in the congo. But we support nothing that you cannot discuss with the Court Support people you know the athletes readapt that you know that create they can recant and it will be ok just trying to get around that its racist because. He no cotton he knew and he very helpful to. Gail side but i mean there are not just a limp a costly putting a lot on hold those footballers cricketers tennis players formula one racing drivers what advice do you give to these elite athletes to deal with being in limbo. Yeah i think limbo is a good description i think we should hone in on those other most most will so the most full abroad leitz are those which are an individual sports which dont have the same support structures around them be a professional team or part of a limbic squad and needs for whom this has led to accelerate career terminations or transition added the sport those that this was going to be their last year and they may not have the opportunity to go into 2021 season so its important that you know theyre the ones that will need access to good service and lots of support i think in terms of the breath and scope of this i mean this is a universal issue now i think we we can rely upon athletes to use their own skills you know which includes resilience their capacity to to use their resources. To help themselves through this challenge and collectively as a community to support one another beyond that theres theres tippets a psychological device which applied to the general up. Population around developing a routine and then there are sports specific elements which means you know they should check in with one another at times theyre meant to go training so they when theyre restricted from training they still have this what we call social support or connectivity to others we also need them to to restructure and thats up their goals you know for those that can that can continue on so theyre their season isnt there let me put it this way that their career goals arent determined by this current challenge just their season goals i mean we need to think really in the long term and think of a longer scale trajectory and that will help them cope james can ask america from an economic side of it how important are sports to National Economies in terms of the knock on effect of stadiums not being filled with people going to watch games people not paying sponsorship rights whats the knock on effect going to be of all the sports being put on hold. Of course its hard but an exact number on exactly the financial amount and therefore any kind of percentage of g. D. P. Are not legally because the weight which makes it a factor that factors molly makes us feel good feel happy you know im gail has been talking about all of those preparations that go on behind the scenes and we see the end result and its amazing to watch on these he was wonderful some allies the Olympic Games and World Championships over the years gone by in the premier league for example but we can certainly you know we can get some numbers and you took some numbers out of thin air now the recent Television Deal for the premier league in england was 5000000000. 00 pounds thats not a trivial amount of money and so what were seeing more is all of these kinds of sums being on hold its not its not even just. Sports organizations of course its the its everything to do with the broadcasting of the Television Companies you no longer have the sport to show and have to somehow fell through the shadows on the televisions with the things that we might want to watch to attract our attention to justify all of those subscriptions that were paying to watch this bill and theres all sorts of uncertainties and again the sponsorship lots of companies have paid lots of money to have their and their brand names blazoned on Television Sets where much is and games and events are taking place in stadia on a world and thats all isnt happening so its all on hold and its really unprecedented unknown this kind of thing just hasnt happened outside of outside of the world was really so we really dont know whats going to happen from an economic standpoint it really does point to what our governments going to do in this kind of situation because the economics of it when economics you know often doesnt come into it with sport its about sports about something we do. About who we are and therefore the Government Intervention i think is going to be particularly important here in terms of supporting the athletes as they move towards 20212022 wards supporting all of the small and he. A larger sports club sports leagues in the country and around the world through this prolonged spell where we just cant do any currency and james just to stay with the premier league that you mention there being Less Premier League they clearly are still hoping that they can finish the league i think by the end of june by playing some get games behind closed doors do you think there must be financial pressures on the premier league you think its realistic that the premier League English premier league will get going again well i guess it has to get going its simple as you say what we hope of course that the hugo virus of the year the numbers a lot of bands of the virus passes such that we can resume semi normal lives again some time soon you can see the argument behind playing behind closed doors to get things done so you know less of a chance of people being unfairly treated but i dont think thousands of people in enclosed space legally thats thats lost revenues potentially maybe not for the family but what the family does in england influences what everybody else that the earshot of the english Football Center have to go what the premier league does liffey e. F. L. Games will behind closed doors these clubs dont get the same kind of money from television that the premier league clubs get and so i was all i could be very financially difficult for a lot of small of the well looked around england only in other countries theres a psychological aspect to that as well i guess how you know premier League Players feed off crowds full stadiums how theyre going to how theyre going to psychologically play a game behind closed doors. Yeah its interesting and we have experience with this in sport and i think its more than a decade ago. A number of matches were held behind closed doors due to various restrictions so look the terms i had to the referees performance is the one that changes the most just the players which is really interesting but i think fundamentally we should really look at awfully people involved in sport as people who are resilient and 11 we shouldnt miss is the fact that the voice of our cleats and those involved in monitoring and. Supporting performance. Should be one we listen to and theres many athletes taking on the role of odd because see in terms of you know following the National Health guidelines in Different Countries this is a really Important Role for for often leads to take this advocacy role so they can be role models just as they can be in many or their aspects of life but in this time were having to adopt a new circumstances each week a new restrictions the voice of athletes is one which will resonate certainly with the young for sure gayle for you when you are playing at a competition level how important is it to have an audience that are a crowd that could you manage without that well as a common sense and i think have the luxury of premier League Formats crouse every single time and i mean that means something i left i know ill be lucky there with having people watching but i have happy in that sea of playing places not later in a season where theres friends 1000 screens for you and they and their responses that occupy the crowd. Is that im not only the brave sorry all you know im that the guy is not so im not you know that crowd is not like my cool and i sort of 7 not that. I can say im on this on this because im good at what i do i think its a real thing not each time and not that might not make partner. I have a love for the country they love for me thats why i think nassau that has been you know a part of themselves being a part of this book but yeah its very different when your thoughts trying to make the most about yourself in a great while you want to win the match and then you go out and then no one that can be ready like. Them because its raining sex and its hard to get stuff my space that that that you know that we have with our consciences practice and money and that says of us and i think and i think this book happening i get a crowd and you know its only like charity is that for me but why cant that be my zeal and that would not be the professionals whether its the rovers the rugby cricket whatever it was at full effect just this question and next that some. Member of the in the find a way. Of course its not only sports people that have their lives appended and placed on hold and restrictions but our movements billions of us are facing similar restrictions but sportspeople been going on social media to urge people to follow government orders across the world to stay inside as an example take a listen to british 2 time world boxing heavyweight champion tyson fury i hope ever