Olopade counts cost of COVID-19

• Cote d’Ivoire Open, Karen Masters join the list of postponed tournaments

These are not the best of times for sportsmen. Since governments the world over the banned mass gathering of people due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, all major sports events have been postponed, with some cancelled totally.

For golfers, apart from the British Open, US Open and the Masters, most regional competitions, which hitherto kept them going, have also joined the list as the COVID-19 pandemic continues its unabated assault on the world.

The latest to join these unfortunate events are the Cote d’Ivoire Open and the Karen Masters in Kenya, which some Nigerian players were looking forward to.

Among the hard-hit players is one of Nigeria’s best players, Sunday Olopade, who said he had been training hard with a view to playing at some of these competitions before they were called off. But he is consoled by the fact that the postponements were necessary to save the world from an unrelenting enemy.

“I planned to feature in many tournaments this season, particularly the British Open and the Cote d’Ivoire Open, which was supposed to tee off this week and the Karen Masters in Kenya, but all have been cancelled because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“My prayer for the whole world is to overcome the Coronavirus pandemic; it has wreaked havoc on the global economy and sport to be specific,” he lamented.

His pained that effects of the pandemic would also cost him the African Tour for the season, which he has won a couple of times.

“The African Tour, which I am a member, was about to also start and I was so focused when suddenly the Coronavirus issue broke out.

“The African Tour is one of the regular tours currently in Nigeria and West Africa and Central Africa region,” he said.

In all of these, the Ibori Golf and Country Club, Asaba, Delta State and Miccon Golf Club, Ada, Osun State member assured his fans that he had been training to be ready whenever competitions restart, adding that he is currently having some quality time with his family and obeying the “stay safe and save lives” rules.

“Well I’m staying at home with my family and “stay safe” as well; but it’s very tough for me not playing golf for more than one month now; I have been doing road work out every morning to keep fit,” he said.