YEAR IN PHOTOS: Sport goes on despite global coronavirus interruptions

KYODO NEWS

- Dec 28, 2020 - 13:20 All,Coronavirus,Sports,Japan

Posters seen on a street in Tokyo on April 1, 2020, are aimed at promoting the Tokyo Olympics. The Olympics, which were postponed due to the global coronavirus pandemic, will be held from July 23 to Aug. 8 in 2021. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

A Tokyo Olympic countdown clock set up near JR Tokyo Station shows on March 30, 2020, the number of days remaining until the games. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

The Olympic rings glow in the dark after being reinstalled in Tokyo Bay off Odaiba Marine Park on Dec. 1, 2020, after they underwent a safety inspection and maintenance. The rings were temporarily removed in August following the Tokyo Summer Games' postponement. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Cutouts of Shonan Bellmare football club supporters are placed on seats ahead of a J-League first division game behind closed doors against Vegalta Sendai at Shonan BMW Stadium Hiratsuka, near Tokyo, on July 4, 2020. The J1 resumed the same day after a roughly four-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Fans of J-League football club Urawa Reds, wearing face shields amid concerns over the novel coronavirus, gather at a pub in Saitama, eastern Japan, on July 4, 2020, to watch the Reds' match on TV. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Kawasaki Frontale celebrate after clinching the J-League first-division football title with a 5-0 win over Gamba Osaka on Nov. 25, 2020, at Todoroki Stadium in Kawasaki, near Tokyo. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Pepper humanoid robots and Spot dog robots cheer for the SoftBank Hawks in the stands at PayPay Dome in Fukuoka on July 7, 2020, during a professional baseball game held without fans. (Kyodo)

Cheerleaders root for the Orix Buffaloes from the stands at the baseball club's season opener against the Rakuten Eagles at Kyocera Dome in Osaka on June 19, 2020, the opening day of the coronavirus-delayed season in Japan. Nippon Professional Baseball has decided to admit fans from July 10. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

The SoftBank Hawks celebrate after winning their fourth consecutive Japan Series title with a 4-1 victory over the Yomiuri Giants in Game 4 at PayPay Dome in Fukuoka on Nov. 25, 2020. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Shobushi (R), a lower-ranked wrestler, performs in a "shokkiri" sumo comedy routine during a regional tour in Gifu Prefecture on July 29, 2018. He died aged 28 on May 13, 2020, due to multiple organ failure caused by the novel coronavirus. (Kyodo)

Naomi Osaka of Japan poses with the U.S. Open trophy on Sept. 13, 2020, the morning after winning the women's singles final in New York. (Getty/Kyodo)

Composite photo shows Yu Darvish of the Chicago Cubs pitching against the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 25, 2020. (Kyodo)

Racing driver Takuma Sato is pictured following an interview in Tokyo on Dec. 7, 2020. (Kyodo) Yuzuru Hanyu performs his free skate at the national figure skating championships at the Big Hat arena in Nagano, central Japan, on Dec. 26, 2020. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Naoya Inoue (R) punches Jason Moloney during their bantamweight title bout at MGM Grand Conference Center on Oct. 31, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Top Rank Inc/Getty/Kyodo)

Rui Hachimura of the Washington Wizards dunks the ball during a preseason game on Dec. 13, 2020, in New York. (NBAE/Getty/Kyodo)

Japanese ice dancing duo Kana Muramoto (L) and Daisuke Takahashi perform in the rhythm dance segment at the NHK Trophy figure skating competition in Osaka on Nov. 27, 2020. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Kohei Uchimura performs on his way to winning the horizontal bar final at the national gymnastics championships at Takasaki Arena in Gunma Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Dec. 13, 2020. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Former Seattle Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki serves as a temporary coach for Chiben Wakayama high school's baseball team on Dec. 4, 2020, in Wakayama, western Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hakkaku (on the raised ring) delivers a speech in closing the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at an empty Edion Arena Osaka on March 22, 2020. The tournament was held behind closed doors due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Composite photo shows Yu Darvish of the Chicago Cubs pitching during a game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on Sept. 25, 2020. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Yuzuru Hanyu performs his free skate at the national figure skating championships at the Big Hat arena in Nagano, central Japan, on Dec. 26, 2020. (Pool photo) (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

The coronavirus pandemic shredded the Japanese sporting calendar in 2020, with the Tokyo Olympics the biggest casualty when it was postponed until next summer.Soccer and baseball had seasons interrupted as schedules were ravaged and rearranged while many other tournaments and events were canceled. But sports managed to go on and spectators gradually returned to stadiums as restrictions were relaxed.There were also a number of feel-good stories to offset the COVID-19 doom and gloom.Among some of the headline-makers that provided Japanese sports fans with much-needed cheer, tennis sta…READ FULL ARTICLE

YEAR IN PHOTOS: Sport goes on despite global coronavirus interruptions

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