Who isn’t a sports fan these days? Sporting matches are a beloved pastime in every region of the world. Even the ancient world took sporting events very seriously. The athletes in Ancient Greece were treated with the same degree of reverence that modern athletes enjoy, and they were paid just as well too. If there is one sporting event that everybody in the world will be watching, then it is certainly the upcoming World Cup matches. People around the world go crazy over the World Cup, but there is a good chance that the upcoming match at Volgograd Arena will be interrupted by insects. Many experts are predicting that insect swarms will descend upon the field during the upcoming game. Swarming insects are already held in contempt by most people, but on Monday night, this contempt may reach a whole new level.
Gareth Southgate’s team has spent the past several weeks preparing for their match against Tunisia, but the two teams may join forces mid-game in order to battle fly swarms of biblical proportions. News outlets reported that helicopters flew over the stadium on Sunday in order to conduct aerial insecticide drops. Representatives and reporters with Sky Sports were set to tape footage of the player’s hotel as well as several interviews with World Cup officials, but the broadcast had to be canceled due to a fly swarm that was occuring at the nearby stadium. These swarms are predicted to reoccur during Monday’s game.
Many sports fans can attest to the fact that this will not be the first time that a sporting event has been interrupted by insects. For example, during the Euro 2016 final match between Portugal and France, the pitch was invaded by a massive swarm of moths. The moth invasion occurred due to the stadium lights being left on overnight. The moth swarm was so heavy that reporters, players and spectators were forced to duck for cover amid the massive moth swarm. Hopefully, the players and fans at Volgograd Arena this Monday will get lucky and enjoy an insect-free match.
Have you ever attended a sporting event where insect pests were making problems for fans, players or both?