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 Sport and the sports community in times of Covid-19
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There is still a long way to go until the Covid-19 wave comes down and the five continents are offered some respite.
Sport is commonly associated with crowd, physical contact and collective communion. At a time when more than half of the world population is locked down, there is a need to rethink our relationship to sport and physical activity.
This period is far from being synonymous with hibernation. People, associations and organisations are constantly looking to be innovative and creative in order to contribute to improving the current situation.
Sport organisations, athletes and cities are multiplying initiatives at different levels:
- Keep connected with the population through sport and physical activity at home, for all generations, which is essential both for mental and physical well-being;
- Raise money to support health care systems;
- Make sport facilities available for urgent medical or social needs;
- Get involved individually, as an athlete or sport practitioner, for the community.
Thanks to the values conveyed by sport in normal times, sports communities and athletes are natural vectors and actors of solidarity in times of Covid-19. We are convinced that sport is contributing to turn the Covid-19 pandemic into a pandemic of solidarity.
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 Stay Tuned with the Union
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 On-Going Projects
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2020 ANNUAL EVENT
With optimism and hope, we are preparing the 2020 Smart Cities & Sport Summit. This year, innovation and adaptation are required! In order to guarantee your active participation, whatever the sanitary conditions will be, the Summit will be available both on-site and online. The Smart Cities & Sport Summit will be held from October 26 to October 28 in Lausanne and will be followed by the Annual Meeting of the World Union of Olympic Cities on October 29. The opportunity to organise an additional trip will be confirmed later.
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CALL FOR GOOD PRACTICES
The year 2020 will remain exceptional in many ways. It is currently upsetting our traditional points of reference and will undoubtedly contribute to reshape the international and local sport landscape. As Cities are at the forefront fighting against the pandemic, the Union's team would be very interested in collecting your experiences, initiatives and future projects in facing the Covid-19 and in learning how sport and the sport community are an asset in this situation. Do not hesitate to contact us and tell us your story(ies).
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MEMBERS' PAGE PRESENTATION
We are currently updating our main communication tool: the Union's website. Your contribution is most welcome and you have been or will be shortly contacted to update your Member page as well as the cases in the toolkit, should you have any. Mostly, we ask you to provide new pictures as well as to update texts related to your city. In advance, we thank you very much for helping us in this renewal process!
This relatively "quiet" period is also an opportunity to continue working on the Olympic Legacy Toolkit and the Celebration Toolkit. Should you have new projects to present, celebrations to highlight and/or best practices to share, do not hesitate to contact us - if we don't contact you first - to make your case.
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 Keep an Eye on Olympic Cities
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 How do Cities use sport to contribute facing the Covid-19?
LAUSANNE The on-going transformation of the The Olympic Village of the Lausanne 2020 YOG into student housing has been temporarily suspended. As of the 19 March, the Vortex has been made available for nursing and medical staff involved in the fight against Covid-19. Less than two months after the Games, the Olympic spirit and flame are stronger than ever!
TOKYO At the moment, the City of Tokyo is considering and discussing the possibility of occupying the already completed buildings of the future Tokyo 2020 Olympic Village with patients being treated for COVID-19 symptoms.
MILAN and ITALY In one of the most hurt countries in the world, the football clubs of Inter and AC Milan have donated huge amounts of money to support hospitals and the health care system. Italian Olympians and athletes have produced a short, inspirational video which quickly transitions to hospital scenes and the athletes proclaim that the doctors, nurses and staff in the ambulances and intensive care units are “our heroes” providing care and hope. Each Italian athlete says “Grazie” to those working tirelessly on the front lines.
LONDON and The UK The football community is mobilised to contribute in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. The London club of Chelsea made his hotel available for NHS workers to rest. The former player Gary Neville turned his two Manchester hotels into a respite for NHS workers.
ATLANTA April 4 has become an established tradition in metro Atlanta for bringing out city's sports teams together to celebrate the city's original 404 area code.This year, with the uncertainty and anxiety that exists around the world, Atlanta's sports teams have come together in a unified message of staying safe and doing what is needed to get everyone through the crisis.
LAUSANNE OLYMPIC MUSEUM Because culture is essential in keeping an open-minded attitude, the Olympic Museum offers an original and unusual sight on sports. Three e-exhibitions on the Art of sports photography are available: "Impro", "Attitude", and "Quirky" and worth a glance!
ATHLETES The IOC pays tribute to athletes at the forefront of Covid-19. On the occasion of World Health Day 2020, people around the world are celebrating nurses and all the health workers who are the daily heroes in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Many athletes are also among those leading the response to the virus, helping and comforting people in need of medical treatment and assistance.
WHO The World Health Organisation reminds us that sport can change the world and strengthen social ties, promoting solidarity, respect and peace. WHO has collected some suggestions on how to keep fit without equipment and with limited space.
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