No talking or goal celebrations as South Korea reboots virus-hit football

South Korea's football season kicks off on Friday after a two-month coronavirus delay, leing way for global game as or leagues strive to return to action. Goal celebrations, handshakes and even talking are out under stringent new safety guidelines designed to prevent any contagion during games, which will be played behind closed doors. While countries such as Belarus, Turkmenistan and Taiwan defied virus to keep playing football, South Korea -- 2002 World Cup co-hosts and semi-finalists -- are first prominent nation in sport to allow matches.

South Korea endured one of worst early outbreaks of COVID-19 outside China, prompting professional sports to suspend or delay ir seasons, a pattern that was repeated worldwide. But country appears to have flattened curve thanks to an extensive "trace, test and treat" programme, and football's return comes after baseball started without fans on Tuesday. K-League is Asia's first major competition to return to action, while Europe's giants remain sidelined with only Germany's Bundesliga so far making concrete plans to resume.

Friday's opening game will be between defending champions Jeonbuk Motors -- who are mand by Jose Mourinho's former assistant Jose Morais -- and Cup-holders Suwon Bluewings. Jeonbuk have been dominant team for past dece, winning five of last six league titles, and are again one of favourites. Ar top contender among K-League's 12 teams are Ulsan, who have finished in top four in each of past four years.

But it will be football with a difference from Friday, with strict health checks and hygiene measures enforced on field. Players and coaching staff are subject to temperature checks ahe of each game and if anyone gets infected during season, affected team and those who played against m will have to take a two-week break. Inste of tritional pre-game handshakes, players have been asked to bow ir hes from a distance, while also avoiding celebrating goals with teammates -- and talking.

'Impossible t to talk'

K-League's step-by-step response manual to virus outbreak has been shared with some 40 professional football competitions worldwide including England's Premier League and Germany's Bundesliga, K-League said. But questions have been raised about new safety guidelines. "It's impossible t to talk to your teammates," Incheon United captain Kim Do-hyeok told reporters. "If we can't have conversations on field, we may as well t play football at all." 

new K-League season will be an oasis of live action in a world where sports fans have been starved of such content by virus, with brocasters resorting to repeats of matches from past years. lack of live sport has resulted in a new-found global interest in South Korean football. Ten foreign brocasters from China, Hong Kong to Croatia have purchased rights to air upcoming season, while those in Germany, France, Italy, US and Australia have also me inquiries, K-League said.

K-League will livestream Friday's match on YouTube and Twitter with English-langu graphics and commentary for international fans, it ded in a statement. On ground, K-League said spectators will be allowed back into stiums progressively as government eases its quarantining measures. new football season comes just two days after return of professional baseball in South Korea, which has struck a television deal with ESPN for US fans.

And South Korea will next week become first country to see women's professional golf resume after COVID-19. South Korean players dominate women's golf with eight featuring in world's top 20, including number one Ko Jin-young. $1.8 million Korea Lies Professional Golf Association Championship begins on May 14 in Yangju, east of Seoul with world number six Kim Sei-young and 10th-ranked Lee Jeong-eun in 144-strong field. South Korea has seen only a trickle of new coronavirus infections in recent days, with two fresh cases reported on Wednesday -- both of m overseas arrivals -- taking total to 10,806. 

Im credits: AP