The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, only for the fourth time in its long history, this time due to the coronavirus, is at the top of the list of the main sports news of a cruel year that is already coming to an end.
The postponement of the Olympic event, which is estimated to cause losses of about $ 1.9 billion, will be, if the virus does not spread beyond what was expected, until July 23 next year.
The pandemic has disrupted the sport on the planet, suspending or changing the calendar and the very nature of major tennis events, NBA, Major League Baseball, Formula 1 and football championships in England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany, to name just one. Some.
Most survived Covid-19, but had to be interpreted with empty stadiums, sometimes with stiff faces to compensate for something, the absence of the audience, which is, after all, the reason for those shows.
The NBA, one of the best managed leagues, after four and a half months paralyzed, succeeded and opened a balloon in Disney World that allowed its resumption.
The league had a happy ending, with Los Angeles Lakers from LeBron James and Anthony Davis defeating Pat Riley’s Miami Heat in four of six games, the architect of many of the 17 titles won by the California franchise.
By the way, the Lakers tied with Boston Celtics, their great rival, at the top of the teams that won the most titles.
Other epic draws that took place this year on the sports planet were those of Rafael Nadal with Roger Federer, both with 20 Grand Slams, something that seemed as far removed as the seven trophies obtained by Michael Schumacher in Formula 1 .
English driver Lewis Hamilton hunted “Schumi” in November last year, when he took the top position in the Turkish Grand Prix, the fourteenth round of the 17 that make up the season.
Dissatisfied with this, Hamilton not only equaled the 91 victories totaled by the great German midfielder, but later, in the Portuguese Grand Prix, dethroned him as the historical leader in his new Mercedes, a record that seemed unattainable.
In the world of tennis, the surprise disqualification of Novak Djokovic from the US Open was also relevant, after he gave an unintentional ball to the quieter during the eighth match he played against the Spaniard Pablo Carreño.
“I didn’t see the moment when it happened,” the world number one explained.
“I was looking at my coach, celebrating the ‘break’ and then I saw him quietly on the ground. I was shocked. “
Soto, the bat leader
Transcendent for the Dominican Republic was the battle title won in the National League by Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals, who averaged .351 in a short season of 60 games due to the coronavirus.
Banilejo became the youngest player to win since Brooklyn Dodgers’ 22-year-old Pete Reiser defeated him in 1941 by an average of .343.
The Dodgers, but from Los Angeles, lifted the World Series trophy for the first time since 1988, defeating Tampa Bay in the seventh game of the same game.
Local plan
The break in sports took place at a time when the country was preparing to have what is projected as one of the best appearances at the Olympic Games.
With five individual places and one for the team, the country was secured, when there were still qualifiers for a dozen sports in which there were hopes of adding more athletes.
The “Queens of the Caribbean” won a ticket to the Olympics, the third in their history, defeating their rival in Puerto Rico 3-0 in the final of the Qualifying Tournament held at a full festival at the Palacio de los Deportes Professor Virgilio Travieso Soto.
At the time of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Dominican Republic had two athletes in equestrian sports (Héctor Florentino and Ivonne Losos de Muñiz), three in taekwondo (Bernardo Pie, Moisés Hernández and Katherine Rodríguez) and the women’s volleyball team or “Queens of Caribbean “.
Swimmers Josué Hernández and Cristal Lara have B grades.
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“Here we are all Bulls …”
champions
On January 28, the Romans were crowned champions, the third in their history and the first in 2011. They then triumphed in the Caribbean Series, ending a seven-year winless streak.
disorders
Due to the virus, the Professional League and the tournaments in the District, Santiago, La Vega, San Pedro de Macorís and La Romana were suspended.
survive
Thanks to the efforts of the Government and Lidom, the autumn-winter baseball tournament was saved, although it had to take place behind closed doors.