LONDON, United Kingdom – The first sport to resume competition in England is… pigeon racing! The birds narrowly beat pool and horse racing on Monday (the first).
At 10am local time (6am in Brasilia), more than 4,000 pigeons were released in Kettering, in northern England, by members of the Barnsley Racing Pigeon Federation for a race of around 140 kilometres.
This is the first featherweight competition in England since the discipline was suspended in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Premier League, Snooker, Horse Racing
Competitions are allowed in Great Britain from Monday, but behind closed doors. While we wait for the return of major sports (the English Premier League football will only return on June 17), less popular competitions will have a chance to attract media attention – as is the case with this pigeon race.
“Running is a reason for people to get up in the morning,” said one participant, Greenshield, a 72-year-old former miner. “People are anxious,” he added, saying the resumption of work would “give a boost to the region.”
Among other sports that resumed today is snooker, a type of billiards that is very popular in the United Kingdom, with world champion Judd Trump, who begins the defence of his title in Milton Keynes.
The tournament is broadcast live on TV, and players are subject to nasal tests for coronavirus. Horse racing resumes in Newcastle with ten races, and riders wear masks.
“There's nothing else to watch,” commented trainer Hugo Palmer, who sees a “huge opportunity” for horse racing.
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