COVID-19:World Athletics launches fund to help athletes

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ANKARA (AA) - World Athletics and the International Athletics Foundation (IAF) jointly created a fund for professional athletes to overcome financial strains caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“World Athletics, together with the International Athletics Foundation (IAF), has today launched a $500,000 fund to support professional athletes experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic,” World Athletics said in a statement on Tuesday.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said that ''the fund would be used to assist athletes who have lost most of their income in the last few months due to the suspension of international competition while the world combats the global health emergency.''

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world.

The pandemic has killed more than 212,000 people worldwide, with the total number of infections exceeding 3.06 million, while nearly 906,000 have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the Johns Hopkins University of the US.