Should sport be suspended?

In the aftermath of terrorist attacks on the US, calls have been made for a number of sporting events to be postponed.

Should the world of sport be suspended as a mark of respect?

Uefa has postponed all this week's remaining Champions League and Uefa Cup ties "as a mark of respect" for the victims of the attacks.

Meanwhile, American golfers have called for the Ryder Cup to be postponed due to safety concerns.

Saturday's middleweight unifier between Felix Trinidad and Bernard Hopkins, due to take place on Saturday at New York's Madison Square Gardens, has been postponed.

Also cancelled is the New Zealand cricket tour to Pakistan because of its proximity to potential trouble spot Afghanistan.

Should the world of sport watch and wait as a mark of respect; or should things carry on as normal?

E-mail your views.

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I am a PE teacher and support sport at every level. However I am disgusted at the SFA's decision to allow football matches to go ahead this weekend saying that life goes on! Have some respect and put aside all games as a mark of respect to all those who can no longer watch or take part in sport.
Eileen Williamson, Scotland

Whether we like it or not, the USA and the UK are intrinsically linked as neighbours and trading powers

John Stretford, UK

The comments I am reading here are unbelievable. It is irrelevant whether or not sport was postponed in the wake of other tragedies. Whether we like it or not, the USA and the UK are intrinsically linked as neighbours and trading powers.

I seem to remember the world stopped for two weeks four years ago when Diana died. This is possibly the start of WWIII.........is it really so important to play a Nationwide game this Saturday? We should have a national weekend of mourning and get back to normality on Monday.
John Stretford, UK

You have to remember how much America, whether sometimes misguided or not, has done for the world and the role that it has played. Americans have a need to be comforted at this time and to feel that the rest of the world supports them.

By foregoing many of the things that we take for granted, though not changing the course of history, will put something back as a show of support that I think that the Americans would appreciate. Think not of countries, but more of the global community at this time.
Nick, USA/UK

I noticed at the Champions League games on Tuesday some fans with banners emphasising our support and solidarity with the USA, as well as a minutes silence and all players wearing black armbands. Surely playing the matches with this backdrop is a much more visible tribute than cancelling the games.
Giles, London, UK

It has been confirmed that close to 100 Brits have died in New York and that the number could reach 500. I love football and other sports as much as anyone else, but they seem meaningless at a time like this. I was happy to see Ryan Giggs say that he really doesn't feel like playing right now.

I'm also discouraged by this deliberate attack being compared to natural disasters. Natural disasters are part of life. What happened in New York on Tuesday should not be.
Jack Hollis, USA

It's not just America that has to come to terms with what happened

Gareth, England

I believe that it was a good decision by Uefa to call off Wednesday's Champions League games. It's not just America that has to come to terms with what happened, but the whole world and the whole sporting world.
Gareth, England

I agree with many of the comments made about the futility of postponing matches. It is simply causing too much hassle for clubs and especially fans all over Europe. Sport does not stop for earthquakes in Turkey or South America or terrorism in Israel etc so why for terrorism in the USA? I feel very sorry for all the people who died and their families, but to create more chaos is simply giving terrorists what they want.
Stuart, USA (Scottish national)

For practical reasons the US is justified in cancelling sporting events. Other countries should be respectful, but cancelling events is adding to the victory claimed by the terrorists - we can not capitulate in this way. Keep the disruption to a minimum and demonstrate to whoever it is that we will not be terrorised in this way.
Duncan, UK in US

The decision to cancel the European games is ridiculous. I can understand the Americans cancelling sporting events over the next couple of days, but come on...life goes on doesn't it?
Chris Oxford, Bahrain

In such a tragic time people need to come together, and sporting events are times when people can come together. There are some sporting events that may need to be postponed for safety reasons, but for the most part we can not let the terrorist win by bringing our lives to a halt.
Ben Giles, USA

Let's put it on the back-burner and reflect upon ourselves as a global community

Steve Lidbury, England

No one is denying the scale or the horror of what happened yesterday. However, without wishing to sound callous, postponing games is utterly futile. Sport - and life - must go on and not playing the Champions League will benefit absolutely no one in the USA. By all means have a minutes silence, wear black armbands or have a charity game for families of the deceased, but tonight's cancellations will barely even be registered in America. If we extend Uefa's logic, shouldn't we have a global day of mourning - or is it only footballers who are so badly affected by grief that they cannot work?
Terry, Scotland

Why does Andrew from Wales think that the only people affected are from the US - you need to open your eyes. I am as big a fan of football than the next man, but let's put it on the back-burner and reflect upon ourselves as a global community - why is this happening? What are we doing wrong as a global society? What has happened this week effects everybody throughout the world. I am not saying stop everything when a disaster happens, but this particular event is going to be a landmark in history - a day that changed the world. I think we can watch football next week! Don¿t you Andrew?
Steve Lidbury, England (living Tokyo)

It is right that we should pay proper respects to the dead after such a dreadful act - but to suspend sporting events more than a few days after a suitable mourning period is to play into the hands of the terrorists. The more mayhem, the more upset they can cause, the more likely they are to do it again.
Hugh McKinney, London

Paradoxically, the seeming surrendering of importance which UEFA seems to be wanting to show, by postponing tonight's games, and thus, presumably, wanting to show the insignificance of sport in relation to such tragic occurrences, actually, in reality shows the importance of sport, and in particular football, to the world. Uefa's actions are, in effect, recognition of the overall societal importance which football holds in our world, and, as such, it is football's responsibility to take such action when such events occur. The only regrettable aspect of this whole episode is that similar responses were not forthcoming after comparable disasters in the past.
Luke Mason

I was not at ease watching the game on TV... Liverpool vs Boavista...my mind kept thinking of the tragedy, even the atmosphere in the ground did not seem normal.....well done UEFA for the decision....
Natalino Ciantar, Malta

The only regrettable aspect of this whole episode is that similar responses were not forthcoming after comparable disasters in the past

Luke Mason

Are American lives worth more than Indian, Nicaraguan and Honduran lives? Large amounts of people are slaughtered by man-made and natural disasters everyday - and the sports world does not come to a standstill. We're obviously sorry about it. Let's have a moment of silence before each game then move on. Otherwise we'll only be making it clear to the terrorists that they have succeeded in terrorizing us.
Victor Kofi Brobbey, USA/Ghana

Tough to think about sport at a time like this, but that's part of my liberty and we shouldn't let 'them' take it away.
Alastair Jones, Welshman in USA

Quite frankly, no. There's nothing wrong with the minute silence, but sport is an unrelated incident to what's happened, and don't get me wrong - it's terrible in the USA. Nobody cared in the terrible earthquakes in India and mudslides in Nicaragua which boasted more casualties. Sport can get people out of this unhappiness which is sweeping the world and it can take your mind off things. I was thoroughly disappointed to learn the Champions' League was off tonight.
Tom, England

The calls for a return to normality are all very well but when society and normality have been so shaken by the terrible events in the US yesterday, I felt it only necessary to take some time out for people to form their own new normality. People should not try to draw comparisons or attempt to draw attention to past grievances, the fact is that over 20,000 people may have lost their lives and sport should recognise that. You cannot resume to a normality that no longer exists
Adam Avigdori, England

It is entirely fitting that sport should recognise the enormous ongoing tragedy in America. Surely one of professional sport's most distasteful events was the decision to continue the Munich Olympics while Israeli athletes were being slaughtered.
Chris Brian, England

Yes we need to be respectful and a day or two of respect is very much in order. However, the quicker the World gets back to normality and sport is part of day to day normality the better. The longer we are all off centre the Terrorist wins, the quicker we are back and putting life together (including Sport) we are winning!
John Murray, Canada

A fitting mark of respect would be the minutes silence and collections at all of the UEFA games for the memorial fund. Once again the fans suffer - Leeds fans will get their money back but what about the extra time off work they will need to book - if they can get it - for next week? Who will pay for that?
Ben Ramsey, Ipswich, England

Few of us could muster any enthusiasm for a sporting event right now, but then we don't want to let the terrorists win.

Nick Callaghan, England

Like most of us I'm in two minds. Few of us could muster any enthusiasm for a sporting event right now, but then we don't want to let the terrorists win. Life must go on. A sensible balance may be to cancel events until after this weekend, then get back to normal as quickly as possible. Also, the Ryder Cup will show the world the bond between USA and Europe, and bring us all together. Sometimes sport can be good for the soul.
Nick Callaghan, England

Most sports have paid their respects by re-scheduling their seasons events, e.g. Uefa Champions League, and Ryder Cup, I think¿ I suggest motor sports like F1 do the same and call off their Monza schedule, to have drivers and staff, getting a break to visit affected relatives and friends.
Godwin Turyamureeba, United Kingdom

I think it is a fair enough appeal by all the players to postpone the Ryder Cup. Especially, I think US players are entitled to request for a postponement. I don't think any one wants to play and win a golf tournament when thousands of people are dead and the entire nation is in the state of shock and grief. I even think that the American team should walk out of the championship in case their requests are rejected.

No sporting event or trophy is that important to me that I would divert my attention from my country's biggest tragedy of all time. Meanwhile, it is double standards on the part of Uefa. No soccer match was postponed for deaths in the under developed or developing countries. I did not see Gerhard Aigner postponing any soccer event when more than fifteen thousand people died in recent earthquake in Gujarat, India. I think it is moral responsibility of All American players from various sports either to call for postponements or withdraw from all their respective events.
Kiran Bharthapudi, India, in USA

I don't think any one wants to play and win a golf tournament when thousands of people are dead and the entire nation is in the state of shock and grief.

Kiran Bharthapudi, India, in USA

I don't think any sports should be played this week as a mark of respect for those who perished in America. Sport events can be arranged for anytime but let the time for mourning be the time for mourning.
Trevor, U.K

Postponing the Ryder cup would be an overreaction. Hopefully when emotions settle down it will go on as normal.
Brent , UK

The Ryder Cup should not be cancelled. It should be played in a competitive but sporting manner without the excesses of recent meetings and the proceeds should be donated to the victims of the terrorist attacks and their families, which should avoid the recent wrangling about money and show that sportsmen can do the decent thing. Cancelling cannot help the victims and any who played golf would not want the Ryder Cup to be another victim.
John, England

Yeah I think it is only right to cancel these games, as who knows what else could happen? Also we have to show our respect for all the people who have been killed and injured, as well as their families!
Andi Paterson, England

When other more brutal tragedies have happened to other innocent people the sporting world did not shut down. This is madness!

Bert, ST. Kitts

We live in such a hypocritical world. When other more brutal tragedies have happened to other innocent people the sporting world did not shut down. This is madness!
Bert, ST. Kitts

I think the Ryder Cup should be rearranged if the US stars don't feel they can play. Who can blame them? If they're made to play, any possible European victory would be extremely hollow, and I would take no pleasure in it whatsoever.
Lee Smith, UK

I think the decision to cancel the remaining fixtures is odd considering that last night's games went ahead. I feel that the games played last night should have been cancelled. It seems fruitless to cancel these remaining fixtures now.
Sean Fisher, UK

Sporting events should only be cancelled when the team playing is from the U.S.; as they are the only people affected by these events.
Andrew, Wales

I think the Ryder Cup should be rearranged if the US stars don't feel they can play. Who can blame them?

Lee Smith, UK

Play the games! I feel a minuet's silence before a match is quite a powerful moment. 30 or 40 thousand people silent in thought would show the world how we feel about these events. If we don't play these matches then that would be another minor victory for the terrorist, by disrupting lives as much as possible.
Hugh, UK

Over-reaction. All the teams are already in place around Europe and now must go home and come back next week. Postponing (not cancelling) fixtures makes things worse not better and helps nobody. Also, what did the Americans postpone when Canary Wharf was bombed? Life goes on.
Jimmy James, UK

This isn't a time for sport - all events should be cancelled as a mark of respect for people of all nationalities who have lost their lives. Sporting events can be replayed - lives cannot.
Maria Gibbons, England

I don't recall sporting matches getting called off when the earthquakes hit India or Turkey, or when innocent people were being killed as America and Britain continued to bomb Baghdad, or when the terrible events happened in Rwanda.
Steve, England

Play the matches, with a minutes silence if that's what the spectators want, and let life get back to normal as soon as possible.

Sue, England

I think last night's games should have been called off.
Callum Stevenson, Scotland

Manchester City and Notts County asked the FA to call off their game but the FA said "play on'. City's Chairman David Bernstein did not attend the game as a mark of respect. Kevin Keegan said "This is not a day for football".
Ernest Barrow, Virginia, USA

Play the matches, with a minute's silence if that's what the spectators want, and let life get back to normal as soon as possible.
Sue, England

I am glad that the remaining European fixtures for this week have been cancelled. I was due to travel to Celtic Park tonight for our opening Champions League match with Rosenborg but honestly didn't feel that it was right to sit and watch a football match at this time. I watched the Liverpool and Arsenal matches last night and the atmosphere at both games appeared somewhat subdued. It is the right decision and I'm certain the Ryder Cup will soon follow suit.
AH, Scotland