The global sporting ecosystem is currently fighting with significant travel disruptions and scheduling challenges caused by the ongoing tensions and conflict in the Middle East.
Various global tournaments like Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and MotoGP Grand Prix in Qatar have been postponed due to security concerns.
This has also disrupted travel for Asian athletes to European tournaments and vice versa. Notably, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu missed the prestigious All England Open after being stranded in Dubai due to the conflict.
Here is the list of a few such tournaments that have been impacted due to this Middle East situation:
FIBA Asia World Cup Qualifiers
The Indian basketball team was already in Qatar when the conflict escalated in Iran. They remained stranded there for nearly 15 days before returning to India.
The team was scheduled to play a qualifier in Lebanon. But they did not travel due to security concerns, resulting in the qualifiers being postponed to late June.
FIH World Cup Qualifier
The recently concluded FIH World Cup Qualifiers were also impacted by the current situation after the USA men’s hockey team withdrew mid-tournament due to security concerns.
They played two games in the Qualifiers in Egypt, but were forced to leave the tournament before the final group game and gave a walkover to England.
Asian Weightlifting Championships
India was scheduled to host the Asian Weightlifting Championships after 44 years in April 2026 in Ahmedabad. However, the event has now been postponed to May 12–17 at the same venue.
The star Indian weightlifters have been expected to compete at this event, which will probably be the last chance to qualify for the Commonwealth Games 2026.
FIDE Candidates 2026
Recently, India’s No. 1 female chess player, Koneru Humpy, has also withdrawn from the upcoming FIDE Candidates 2026 in Cyprus, citing her safety concerns.
FIDE has given an assurance to the players that the tournament will run without any trouble, but Humpy didn’t look satisfied and withdrew her name.
Doha Diamond League
Among the biggest upcoming events, the Doha Diamond League is currently the biggest concern, as the organisers have still not released any details about the tournament.
While they have confirmed that the event will take place on the scheduled date of May 8, there are speculations that it might be removed from the calendar altogether.
Comments are closed.