By Asitha Jayawardena

Sports and sustainability. In BBC Sport, how various games affect different parts of sustainability is discussed. Here, four games are taken into account – golf, football, tennis and cricket. Questions are their presentation method.

Golf and water

How many cubic metres of water does a typical 18-hole golf course in a hot country need every year? 

• 30,000 cubic metres – about 12 Olympic swimming pools
• 170,000 cubic metres – the equivalent of about 250,000 four-person hot tubs
• 500,000 cubic metres – that’s about six Royal Albert Halls full of water

Every year, it needs about six Royal Albert Halls full of water. Or 500,000 or half a million cubic metres. It is a lot!

But sustainability can come in because the water required is not drinking water. Many of the golf courses use reused or recycled water, such as rainfall harvesting off buildings and car parks, surface runoff and floodwaters and greywater from buildings.

Football and green

According to The Green League 2020, who was the “greenest” Premier League club in 2020?

• Brighton and Hove Albion
• Tottenham Hotspur
• Arsenal

It was Tottenham Hotspurs.

Spurs claimed 21 points out of a maximum of 21. It was in the Green League 2020, published by BBC Sport and the United Nations-backed Sports Positive Summit.

The carbon footprint of Spurs had eight key areas including using cleaner energy, eliminating single-use plastics in club facilities, increasing the options of plant-based food and encouraging staff, players and fans to use more sustainable methods of transport. Moreover, their £1 million building, which was opened in 2019, provides the facilities for the fans without affecting the environment for future supporters.

Tennis and plants

What are there more: Spectators at Wimbledon at any one time during the Championships, OR plants within the All England Club’s grounds?

• Plants at SW19
• Daily spectators

It’s plants, not spectators but the values get close.

In the 42 acres of All England Club in Wimbledon, around 50,000 plants are there, averaging around 1190 plants. But there are only 42,000 spectators at any given time, only 1000 fans per acre. In the Championships, fans may be higher than this but not 50,000!

Committing to net-zero operational emissions by 2030, the All England Club intend to generate renewable energy within the site, minimize gas for cooking food at the site and heating club facilities and maintaining the fleet of vehicles associated with the Club and Championships 100% electric. 

Cricket and heat

Which England men’s cricket captain was hospitalised after experiencing signs of heat exhaustion as temperatures reached over 40 degrees at the Sydney Cricket Ground?

• Joe Root
• Alastair Cook
• Eoin Morgan

It was Joe Root. In the final test of the 2018 Ashes, he recovered quickly and, the following day, he scored a half-century!

Joe suffered from severe dehydration, diarrhoea and vomiting after Sydney recorded its hottest temperatures since 1939, the maximum temperature on the field of play being 57.5C. His diagnosis was gastroenteritis.

This scorching heat can be dangerous, causing serious damage to the human body. 

More…

Sport 2050: Quiz – How are sports battling climate change in 2021? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/57068988