Sporting events and athletes affected by Middle East crisis

By Lee Seng Foo 6 days ago

Since Israel and the United States launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, the escalating crisis in the Middle East has begun to disrupt the global sports calendar.

Multiple competitions have been postponed, cancelled or thrown into uncertainty due to security concerns, airspace closures and travel disruptions. Athletes across several sports have also been affected.

Here is some of the impact the crisis has had on sports as of March 5.

FOOTBALL

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has postponed West Region matches in its club competitions, namely the AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Champions League Two and AFC Challenge League.

All sports leagues in Iran have been suspended, including the Persian Gulf Pro League. Several foreign athletes have left the country, such as Mes Rafsanjan defender Lee Ki‑je, who sought refuge at the Embassy of South Korea in Tehran before returning to his home country.

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After initially suspending all competitions, the Bahrain Football Association plans to resume domestic tournaments in stages and behind closed doors.

The Qatar Stars League has been halted indefinitely by the Qatar Football Association.

The highly-anticipated Finalissima clash between EURO 2024 winners Spain and 2024 Copa America holders Argentina, scheduled for March 27 in Qatar, has been thrown into serious doubt.

TENNIS

Two back-to-back Fujairah Open events on the ATP Challenger Tour in the United Arab Emirates were cancelled after drone debris caused a fire in a nearby industrial zone.

Daniil Medvedev, fresh off winning the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships, was among the players stranded in the UAE. As a result, the Russian star missed the Eisenhower Cup in Indian Wells.

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MOTORSPORTS

The FIA World Endurance Championship announced that its opening round in Lusail will no longer be held on its original dates of March 26-28.

Statement from the FIA WEC on the Qatar 1812km.#WEC pic.twitter.com/de89I62idZ

— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) March 3, 2026

MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta said that the Qatar Grand Prix on April 12 is in doubt due to the ongoing conflict.

Formula One is reportedly preparing contingency plans for the Bahrain Grand Prix and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix scheduled in April.

Tyre supplier Pirelli cancelled its two-day F1 test in Bahrain due to security concerns.

BADMINTON

Several badminton players were stranded due to airspace closures. Among them was Indian star P. V. Sindhu, who was forced to withdraw from the All England Open Badminton Championships.

The real rockstars through this entire ordeal were the incredible diplomats at the Indian High Commission in the UAE 🇮🇳

Calm, patient and working non stop through everything unfolding in Dubai and across the Middle East, making sure every Indian stranded there was looked after… https://t.co/Q6H3Wwzsat

— Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) March 3, 2026

GOLF

LIV Golf players, including Lee Westwood and Anirban Lahiri, were stranded in the Middle East and risked missing LIV Golf Hong Kong but were evacuated and arrived in time for the tournament.

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FIELD HOCKEY

Following an advisory from the United States Department of State urging American citizens to leave countries close to the conflict zone, the US men’s national field hockey team withdrew from the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifier currently taking place in Ismailia, Egypt.

OTHERS

The England and Wales Cricket Board cancelled the remainder of the England Lions tour and England Women’s training camp in Abu Dhabi.

The World Poker Tour Cyprus Championship has been postponed.

The Fanatics Flag Football Classic, co-organised by Tom Brady and scheduled for March 21 in Riyadh, is likely to be moved to the United States.

The Tom Brady-led Fanatics Flag Football Classic is likely moving from Saudi Arabia to the U.S. later this month, sources tell FOS.

Scheduled for March 21 in Riyadh, the showcase is looking for a new home as war escalates in the Middle East.

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 5, 2026

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Five of the greatest upsets in World Baseball Classic history

The World Baseball Classic (WBC) has been held since 2006, with this year’s edition marking the sixth installment of the tournament. Traditional powerhouses such as Japan and the United States have dominated much of the competition, with the former alone capturing three titles so far. Yet the WBC has also produced its fair share of shock results. Even in the current edition, fans have already witnessed Chinese Taipei’s dramatic 5-4 win over South Korea and Japan surviving a major scare against Australia. With that in mind, here are five of the most memorable upsets in WBC history.

Australia reach quarter-finals (2023)

Before 2023, Australia had struggled to make an impact in the WBC, winning only two games across several tournament appearances. Placed in a difficult group featuring Japan and South Korea, expectations were modest for the Australians. Instead, the Southern Thunder stunned the baseball world with an 8-7 victory over South Korea. The result helped propel Australia into the quarter-finals for the first time.

Netherlands silence South Korea in Seoul (2017)

South Korea entered the 2017 tournament as both host nation and one of the favourites. Many expected them to make a deep run, but their campaign unravelled almost immediately. After losing their opener to Israel, the Koreans were convincingly beaten 5-0 by the Netherlands in front of their home crowd in Seoul. The defeat contributed to South Korea’s shocking first-round elimination.

Strong start to #WBC2017 for The Netherlands! They take a 5-0 victory over South Korea. pic.twitter.com/EL8reMWvFI
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2017

Italy edge Mexico in dramatic fashion (2013)

Italy had long been regarded as one of Europe’s strongest baseball teams but rarely threatened the tournament’s elite sides. That changed in 2013 when the Azzurri stunned Mexico 6-5 in a dramatic group-stage clash as a crucial ninth-inning double from Anthony Rizzo allowed Italy to overturn a late deficit. The victory, followed by a 14-4 win over Canada, helped Italy advance to the next round.

#WBC #TeamItaly Classic Moments: 3/7/2013 vs Team Mexico … Anthony Rizzo’s go-ahead two-run double in the ninth propelled #Italy to a 6-5 win and opened their tournament with a bang. 🇮🇹 ⚾️ 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/NpKea2f3Lk
— Italian American Baseball Foundation (@IABF5) April 1, 2023

Double Dutch shock for Dominican Republic (2009)

Perhaps the most famous upset in WBC history came in 2009. The Dominican Republic entered the tournament with a star-studded roster featuring MLB stars such as David Ortiz, Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez. Yet the Netherlands stunned the baseball world by defeating the Dominicans twice in the opening round: first 3-2 and then 2-1 in an extra-innings elimination game.

Gotta love an upset in the World Baseball Classic! 😱 pic.twitter.com/YsKJxx2ACn
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) February 7, 2023

Cuba eliminate Venezuela (2006)

In the inaugural 2006 edition, Venezuela fielded a formidable squad featuring MLB stars such as Johan Santana, Miguel Cabrera, Omar Vizquel and Bobby Abreu. Cuba, by contrast, relied entirely on players from its domestic league. Many observers expected the Cuban side to struggle against MLB talent. Instead, Cuba produced a dramatic 7-6 victory over Venezuela and went on to reach the final, where they eventually finished runners-up to Japan. Their remarkable run established Cuba as the first great underdog story in WBC history.

By Lee Seng Foo

1 day ago