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When will I see you again? Sport steps out of virus shadow
Sport’s big ticket events, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, European football championships, Wimbledon and the British Open golf tournament have all been cancelled this year because of the coronavirus.
However, as the world slowly emerges from the pandemic, sport is making a comeback with the English Premier League and Italy’s Serie A both revealing return dates on Thursday.
AFP Sport looks at what’s ahead:
Football
The English Premier League will restart on June 17, provided that all safety requirements are in place.
Aston Villa v Sheffield United and Manchester City v Arsenal will take place on that date, followed by a full match round beginning on June 19.
Due to the coronavirus all matches will take place behind closed doors.
Liverpool are just two wins away from a first league title in 30 years.
Italy’s Serie A can resume on June 20 after a three-month absence in a country hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora said.
No top-flight matches have been played since Sassuolo beat Brescia 3-0 on March 9, before the championship was suspended by a pandemic which has killed over 33,000 people in Italy.
The German Bundesliga became the first major European league to resume on May 16 under strict conditions. Matches are behind closed doors with players elbow-bumping to celebrate goals. Some grounds have allowed cardboard cutouts of fans to fill up empty spaces. The league wanted to complete the last nine rounds of matches before June 30 to secure around 300 million euros ($325 million) in television money.
Spanish La Liga president Javier Tebas said he hopes the season will start again on June 11 with the Seville derby, “one game for all of Spain”.
“It is possible that on Thursday, June 11, we could have the first Liga game,” Tebas told Movistar Plus television.
“We would like it to be the Seville derby — Real Betis v Sevilla — at 2200 (2000 GMT).”
Last weekend, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that La Liga could resume from its lockdown in the week beginning June 8.
All matches will be behind closed doors. Barcelona sit top of the table, two points ahead of Real Madrid.
In France, the season has been declared over and Paris Saint-Germain were awarded the Ligue 1 title.
South Korea had the honour of being the first elite league back in action on May 8 but there were no crowds or wild goal celebrations — even talking was discouraged.
Cricket
There will be no domestic cricket in England until August 1 at the earliest.
As far as international cricket is concerned, the English authorities remain confident the Test series with the West Indies, with matches provisionally scheduled to start on July 8, 16 and 24 at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl and Lancashire’s Old Trafford, will go ahead, behind closed doors at these “bio-secure” venues.
Australia and Pakistan are still due to tour later in the summer.
The money-spinning IPL, which should have started on March 29, was postponed but media reports said the BCCI may aim for a tournament in September-October, ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia.
As Australia’s borders are currently closed to non-residents as a measure against coronavirus, there are doubts the tournament can go ahead as scheduled.
Tennis
The ATP said it will not resume tournament play until the first week of August in Washington. The WTA is still scheduling events in Palermo from July 20-26 and in Karlsruhe on July 28-August 2, for now at least.
The French Open has already been moved to Sept 20-Oct 4 although there are suggestions that it may be put back by a further week. Organisers say it could be played behind closed doors.
The United States Tennis Association will decide in mid-June on the US Open in New York.
Motor sport
Formula One plans to open its season in Austria with back-to-back races on July 5 and 12. F1 boss Chase Carey insists that a 15-18 race season is still possible. Silverstone’s hopes of also staging back-to-back races after Austria are in the balance after the British government insisted that all arrivals in the country undergo a two-week quarantine period.
NASCAR returned behind closed doors earlier in May at Darlington Raceway, South Carolina.
MotoGP hopes to start with back-to-back races at Jerez, Spain, on July 19 and 26.
Basketball
The NBA, whose players are conducting individual workouts at team facilities where allowed, exploring a plan to resume the season in late July at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, although final details have yet to be determined.
Baseball
Major League Baseball wants an 82-game schedule to open in July after three weeks of pre-season training, with games to be played at home stadiums with no spectators. However, players are disappointed that pay cuts have been suggested by team owners.
Ice hockey
The National Hockey League will abandon the rest of the regular season and proceed directly to a 24-team playoff staged in two hub cities. Ten cities are in the running for the two hub centres, including seven from the US: Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh. The three Canadian cities are Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton.
Golf
After the cancellation of the British Open, the remaining majors are the PGA Championship from August 6-9 in San Francisco and the rescheduled US Open from Sept 17-20 at Winged Foot, New York, with the Masters at Augusta, usually played in April, scheduled for November 12-15.
The Ryder Cup, at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, from September 25-27, could take place without fans.
The USPGA hopes its tournament season can resume with the Charles Schwab Challenge from June 11 in Fort Worth, Texas.
The LPGA Tour is due to reopen on July 23 at the Marathon Classic at Sylvania, Ohio.
Golf’s European Tour will be back on July 22 with a run of six tournaments over six weeks in the UK, starting with the British Masters.
Cycling
The Tour de France has been rescheduled for a August 29 start from its original June 27 date.
The Giro d’Italia will take place from October 3-25 with a six-day overlap with the Vuelta a Espana and will be raced at the same time as three ‘Monument’ classics.
Athletics
The Diamond League, which was to have started in Doha on April 17, is now scheduled to open in Monaco on August 14.
With the exception of a June 11 meeting in Oslo that will feature modified events in line with social distancing rules, the rejigged Diamond League calendar will showcase 12 meetings, culminating in China on October 17 at a venue yet to be arranged.
Racing
The first English classics, the 1000 and 2000 Guineas are to be run at Newmarket on the first weekend of June.
Flat racing’s showpiece meeting Royal Ascot it is hoped will follow shortly afterwards on June 16. However, it will do so without racegoers, including its most notable attendee Queen Elizabeth II who will miss it for the first time since 1952.
The Derby and Oaks will be behind closed doors at Epsom Downs on July 4 instead of June.
In the United States, the Triple Crown will now start on June 20 with the Belmont Stakes, followed by the rescheduled Kentucky Derby on September 5 and the Preakness Stakes on October 3.
Rugby
The NRL season in Australia restarted on Thursday.
In union, summer internationals have been cancelled as has the French Top 14.
New Zealand’s Super Rugby franchises will compete in a new competition played behind closed doors starting on June 13.
Reporting and photo: AFP
Resort experiences are increasingly shaped by the need for flexibility, with guests seeking activities that can be enjoyed beyond peak sun hours, creating a natural demand for engaging indoor spaces and particularly in tropical destinations where brief, seasonal rain showers are part of the island rhythm.
Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives builds on this evolving guest preference with the introduction of its new 8-hole Indoor Mini Golf Centre, adding a playful and interactive dimension to the island’s leisure offering. The space was officially unveiled at a recent opening, where a guest was invited to mark the occasion, setting the tone for an experience centred around shared enjoyment and light-hearted moments.
The indoor mini golf course offers a relaxed, air-conditioned space where guests of all ages can take part, whether as a casual game between families, a friendly challenge among couples, or a fun addition to group stays. It provides a comfortable alternative to outdoor activities while maintaining the sense of energy and connection that defines time on the island, regardless of the weather.
The addition builds on the resort’s existing indoor facilities, including billiards, table tennis, and a dedicated kids’ playroom, creating a more rounded leisure experience that caters to different moods and moments. Outdoors, guests can continue to explore a wide range of activities, from beach volleyball and futsal to badminton, diving, and both motorised and non-motorised water sports.
As one of the first resorts in the area to introduce an indoor mini golf experience, Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives continues to evolve its offerings in line with how guests choose to travel today, blending activity, comfort, and shared experiences in a setting designed for both relaxation and discovery.
COMO Maalifushi presents a considered approach to surfing in the Maldives—one shaped by access, expertise, and the quiet privilege of space.
Located in the remote Thaa Atoll, the resort offers entry to a network of lesser-travelled breaks across the southern atolls, where consistent Indian Ocean swells meet uncrowded line-ups. Here, surfing unfolds without urgency—guided by natural rhythm rather than routine.
At the core of the experience is COMO Maalifushi’s long-standing partnership with Tropicsurf, daily sessions are shaped by real-time ocean conditions, with coaching that adapts intuitively to each guest—whether taking to the water for the first time or refining technique across more complex reef formations.
Guests are given access to a curated selection of breaks across Thaa Atoll, Laamu Atoll and Dhaalu Atoll—each offering a distinct character. From the long, forgiving rides of Farms to the more technical, fast-moving rights of ‘Machine’, the programme is designed to evolve with both conditions and capability.
“Surfing at COMO Maalifushi is defined by its sense of space and possibility,” says Peter Nilsson, Managing Director, COMO Maldives. “Our location allows access to some of the Maldives’ most consistent yet uncrowded waves, and through our partnership with Tropicsurf, we’re able to offer an experience that is both highly personalised and quietly exceptional—true to COMO’s way of doing things.”
The season, which runs from April through October, brings steady swells from the southern Indian Ocean. Yet beyond seasonality, it is the absence of crowds that defines the experience—allowing guests to engage with the ocean on their own terms.
Surfing at COMO Maalifushi sits naturally within the wider rhythm of the island. Time in the water is balanced with restorative treatments at the COMO Shambhala Retreat, unhurried dining, and the simplicity of island life—creating a sense of flow between activity and stillness.
Here, surfing is guided with care, framed by nature, and experienced without excess.
For more information, please visit the resort’s website.
Angsana Velavaru has reopened its futsal facility as part of efforts to enhance guest experiences and staff engagement through sport and community activities.
The reopening ceremony was officiated by Dhaalu Atoll Council president Ahmed Shafiu and the resort’s general manager, Ahmed Zahir, who jointly cut the ribbon to mark the occasion.
Located within the island grounds, the futsal court measures 57 metres by 38 metres and is intended to serve as a space for both recreational use and organised activities for guests and resort associates.
The resort said the facility would form part of its wider recreational offering and would host workshops and expert-led collaborations aimed at providing guests with sports-based experiences while also supporting skill development and interaction. It added that the initiative also reflects its focus on staff wellbeing, teamwork and active living.
The opening event included friendly matches between the Angsana Velavaru men’s and women’s teams, as well as an inter-resort match between the Angsana Velavaru Orange Army and Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru.
Adjacent to the futsal court is the resort’s upgraded watersports centre, which now includes updated guest facilities such as shower and changing areas.
Ahmed Zahir said the reopening of the futsal ground represented more than a recreational upgrade and reflected the resort’s commitment to creating meaningful experiences for both guests and associates. He said the facility would support active living, connection and wellbeing, while also serving as a space for learning and collaboration.
Angsana Velavaru, located in South Nilandhe Atoll, said the reopening of the futsal facility forms part of its wider efforts to expand its lifestyle and community-focused offerings.
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