Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy in self-isolation
2020 OLYMPIC GAMES
In doubt
Due to the magnitude of the outbreak in Japan, senior member of the International Olympic Committee, Dick Pound, described the disease as “the new war” that threatened Tokyo 2020 and warned that the Games may need to be canceled if the virus existed in May.
Olympic organizers told athletes to train normally without deciding on the cancellation
The Japanese government later insisted that Pound’s comments were not the official position of the IOC, but doubts remain as to whether the summer performance could continue with health concerns.
Athletes have been told to keep training and the plan to keep the Games in Japan is on track as planned, but training for about 80,000 volunteers has been delayed by at least two months – it would start on February 22.
The iconic start of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will be held without spectators, as it was announced that the traditional torch lighting ceremony will take place without fans present.
The Greek Olympic Committee announced on Monday that the torch-lighting ceremony – the symbolic start of each Olympics – will take place at a scaled-down, behind-the-door event due to continued fears of the spread of the corona virus in the region.
The Committee announced that the Olympic torch will be lit on Thursday, March 12, at a smaller ceremony in Ancient Olympia, before setting off on a seven-day relay race ending at an official handover ceremony in Greece on March 19.
ATHLETICS
Canceled
World Indoor Athletics Championships (March 13-15 in Nanjing) is out until 2021.
The World Indoor Athletics Championships in Nanjing, China, has been postponed due to concerns about the danger of the coronavirus and its spread
North Korea canceled the Pyongyang marathon scheduled for April after a border barrier was imposed due to the magnitude of the South Korea outbreak.
The Seoul Marathon is canceled to protect runners after the massive outbreak in South Korea.
The Paris Half Marathon is canceled and the French government has also decided to ban all public public gatherings of more than 5,000 people.
The race with about 44,000 participants was scheduled for Sunday (March 1) in the French capital. Organizers said the race will be postponed to a date to be determined.
The Barcelona Marathon, scheduled for March 15, has been postponed to October to stop the spread of the corona virus, Barcelona City Hall said in a statement.
In doubt
A mixed-relay Olympic triathlon qualifying event, scheduled for Chengdu, China in May, is being moved to Valencia, pending an outbreak in Spain.
BADMINTON
Canceled
German Open (March 3-8), Vietnam Open (March 24-29) and Polish Open (March 26-29), all Olympic qualifying events, will be canceled due to ‘strict health protection’.
BOXING
Canceled
Olympic boxing qualifications held in Wuhan were canceled by the International Olympic Committee and have now moved from March 3 to 11 in Amman
The IBF title fight between Daniele Scardina and Andrew Francillette in Milan on February 28 was postponed by Matchroom due to restrictions in Italy after the outbreak.
The Japanese Boxing Commission has canceled all fight cards scheduled for March on the advice of the government to suspend all ongoing sports matches. They are not resisted.
In doubt
Daniel Dubois’ all-British heavyweight fight with Joe Joyce at the O2 Arena on April 11 was endangered due to an outbreak.
CRICKET
Influenced
Players from England will not shake hands during their tour of Sri Lanka and will use fist bumps instead.
CYCLING
In doubt
Danish cyclist Michael Morkov has been allowed to participate in the UCI UCI Track Cycling World Championships because he was kept isolated for fear of an outbreak of the corona virus.
Morkov, 34, had traveled to Berlin on Thursday after completing the first four stages of the UAE Tour, the last two stages of which were canceled after two race officials were suspected of the disease.
Riders and staff on the UAE Tour have since been blocked, but after the Abu Dhabi Department of Health issued a statement on Saturday saying 167 tests had returned negative, the UCI said Morkov was free to race normally.
Danish cyclist Michael Morkov was tested for coronavirus after being placed in isolation
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
Canceled
All domestic matches at all levels are postponed by the Chinese Football Association because the season is being cut back due to the magnitude of the outbreak in China.
Asian Champions League games with Guangzhou Evergrande, Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai SIPG are postponed to April.
The start of the Korean K-League season has been postponed. The four teams in the AFC Champions League play their matches behind closed doors.
The Japanese J-League has postponed all domestic games until mid-March.
Inter Milan’s game against Sampdoria was one of four Serie A games canceled due to stricken regions in Italy last weekend, leading to the Prime Minister’s advice to cancel sporting events.
Inter Milan’s Europa League game with Getafe was also delayed on March 11, while Roma’s flight to Spain to confront Seville was banned from landing before being delayed, with Italy on lockdown.
Serie A announced on Saturday that five of the weekend’s games, including the title game between Juventus and Inter Milan, have been canceled.
The Coppa Italia game between Napoli and Inter Milan on Thursday became the last game to be canceled when it was postponed indefinitely. It was the 12th game postponed since the crisis started and the third with Inter.
Ludogorets players took no chances after the coronavirus outbreak in Italy
An update by Sport Minister Vincenzo Spadafora later confirmed that all upcoming Serie A matches for the weekend starting March 7 would be played behind closed doors. And with the country locked, it was later announced that all sports, including Serie A matches, would be suspended until at least April 3 to contain the virus.
In France, the Ligue 1 game between RC Strasbourg and champions Paris St Germain was postponed on Friday.
It was the first Ligue 1 game to be postponed, with Alsace in Strasbourg being one of the hardest hit by the corona virus in France, reporting 613 cases and nine deaths.
The Premier League clash between Manchester City and Arsenal, scheduled for March 11, was postponed as a ‘precaution’ after Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis tested positive for corona virus for weeks after seeing his Greek team play at the Emirates Stadium.
In Spain, the Copa del Rey final of April 18 between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad has been postponed.
UEFA said it is asking governments across the continent to ensure that Euro 2020 continues within three months, despite the coronavirus outbreak.
According to reports in Spain on March 12, UEFA will suspend Champions League and Europa League football due to the outbreak.
MLS has been suspended for 30 days and David Beckham’s first home game in Inter Miami has been postponed.
Influenced
The home leg of the Chinese qualifying game for the women’s national women’s team against South Korea set for March is transferred to Sydney. The team will be quarantined on arrival in Australia for the qualifying group stage of January due to fears of virus carriers.
Inter Milan’s Europa League game against Ludogorets on February 27 will be played behind closed doors. Only TV rights holders are allowed to attend the media, as the club wants to secure the San Siro. Ludogorets players arrived in Italy with face masks.
Serie A announced five games to be played behind closed doors on February 28 – March 1, including Juventus v Inter Milan in Turin, a huge game between title rivals.
Ligue 1 followed with games played in empty stadiums until April 15. Clubs also have the option to play matches with only 1,000 fans.
LaLiga became the newest team to ban stadium supporters after guidance from the Spanish Ministry of Health and Sport. Barcelona’s Champions League game with Napoli is also played on empty ground.
Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Olympiakos, tested positive for the coronavirus
Manchester United match on Austrian side Lask will take place behind closed doors, with United handing out £ 350 to each fan to help with travel and accommodation after selling 900 tickets to the Europa League match.
Newcastle United has banned their players from shaking hands amid fears of the corona virus.
Three players of the Italian third division football club, US Pianese, have tested positive for coronavirus, the Tuscan team confirmed on Friday.
Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis, who also owns Nottingham Forest, tested positive for the corona virus. Both Olympiacos and Forest teams were tested and all came back negative.
While Arsenal’s game with Manchester City was postponed, it was confirmed that the weekend’s game with Brighton continued.
In Germany, Hanover 96 defender Timo Hubers tested positive for the virus.
The Spanish Copa del Rey final, scheduled to take place on April 18, between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, has now been postponed.
Cristiano Ronaldo went into isolation in Madeira after it was revealed that his Juventus teammate, Daniele Rugani, has coronavirus.
The Football Association of Ireland has announced that all football under its jurisdiction will end until March 29.
Liverpool have announced a charity match between Reds Legends side and Barcelona Legends, which will be played in Anfield on March 28, has been postponed.
FIFA says it will postpone qualifying matches for the South American World Cup in March.
In doubt
Thursday’s Europa League clash between Olympiacos on Wolves will take place behind closed doors following a government order in Greece, but Wolves has asked UEFA to delay the game.
England’s friendly against Italy at Wembley in March will still continue, according to a tweet from the English football account on March 11. England will also play against Denmark in March.
Israel has warned citizens to avoid all international travel, raising the question of whether supporters or players will travel to Scotland for their Euro 2020 play-off match on March 26.
Growing concern that some Euro 2020 matches could be canceled if the corona virus outbreak worsens between now and summer. The tournament will be multi-city. UEFA admits that they are in a ‘waiting phase’ and must follow the orders of the individual countries involved. However, FA chairman Greg Clarke has stated that he expects the tournament to continue.
Premier League games will be ‘likely’ played behind closed doors’ in the coming weeks due to the fears of the corona virus, Everton board member Sasha Ryazantsev has warned, in line with the action in Serie A.
FORMULA ONE
Canceled
The Australian Grand Prix was called off after a member of a McLaren team got Covid-19, leading to the British team withdrawing before deciding whether to continue the race.
The announcement came hours after Lewis Hamilton said it was “shocking” that the race continued.
The Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 19 will be postponed without deciding whether to place it back on the 2020 calendar for later in the season.
Influenced
The Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for March 20-22, will take place behind closed doors.
The Chinese GP was canceled first and other races could still follow that lead
In doubt
There is growing concern about whether the inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix (scheduled for April 5 in Hanoi) will continue.
GOLF
Canceled
The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific golf championship, scheduled for February 12-15 in Thailand, has been postponed and moved to October.
The Honda LPGA Thailand event in Pattaya, Thailand scheduled for February 20-23, along with the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, scheduled for February 27, were both delayed
The PGA Tour Series-China has postponed two qualifying tournaments and postponed the start of the 2020 campaign by two months, reducing the number of regular season events from 14 to 10.
It was decided to cancel the LPGA Blue Bay tournament in China, with the event on Hainan Island (scheduled for March 5) to be considered dangerous to player health
The European Tour has postponed the Maybank Championship (April 16-19 in Kuala Lumpur) and Volvo China Open (April 23-26 in Shenzhen).
Influenced
Lorenzo Gagli and Edoardo Molinari were withdrawn from the Oman Open for medical reasons after Gagli showed symptoms of the virus. He shared a hotel room with Molinari and was told to isolate himself. They were later placed back into the tournament after being tested negative for the virus.
PGA Tour events continue as planned with no spectators on site. The policy will take effect from the second round of the Players Championship on Friday and continue through to the Masters.
HORSE RACING
Influenced
The Japan Racing Association has revealed that “government-approved races” will take place behind closed doors.
Two race meetings will take place behind closed doors in France next week in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Monday’s spring card and Wednesday’s competition at the Flat in Compiegne will have no paying customers, with the order from the city’s mayor and the president of the Compiegne Racing Society.
Racing in Ireland will take place until March 29 behind closed doors
In doubt
Cheltenham festival doubts as organizers set up a steering committee just 13 days prior to the prestigious Gold Cup event to consider the threat of the virus
The Cheltenham Festival will continue despite travel interruptions caused by the virus
RUGBY
Canceled
The Scotland Women’s Six Nations game with Italy on February 23 has been postponed due to an outbreak in the Milan region.
And the women’s match between Wales and Scotland in the Six Nations on March 15 was also eliminated after a Scottish player tested positive for the virus.
The Irish Six Nations meeting with Italy on March 7 has been postponed.
Ospreys and Ulster’s Pro14 trips to play in Italy on February 29 are being postponed. Ospreys would play Zebre in Parma with Treviso as the venue for Ulster’s game against Benetton.
The Irish Six Nations meeting with Italy on March 7 has been postponed
The Italian Rugby Federation has suspended its National Championship and youth matches for February 28-March 1.
Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is postponed, which is a blow to the Olympic preparations for Team GB.
England’s last Six Nations game against Italy is out ‘with the intention of resisting it later’. The same applies to the corresponding luminaires for ladies and U20. They would all be played March 13-15.
Meanwhile, the French Six Nations clash with Ireland was reduced on March 14, with the French government taking action against sporting events.
In doubt
Scottish rugby announced that the preparations are ‘continuing as usual’ as they discuss with French rugby whether they will continue their Six Nations game on March 8 after a second coronavirus death in France.
All remaining Six Nations games in Italy – which are expected to be England in their last game on March 14 – are seriously questionable given the magnitude of the outbreak in Italy.
Fears of the virus spreading prompted ITV to give up plans to send commentators and experts to Rome for England’s game against Italy in Rome.
TENNIS
Canceled
All events on the ATP Tour are suspended for six weeks.
The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, which was scheduled to begin on March 9, was postponed at eleven. It came after a confirmed case of the coronavirus in the nearby Coachella Valley.
The final of an ATP Challenger event in Bergamo, Italy, between Enzo Couacaud and Illya Marchenko from Ukraine is canceled. Both players received ranking points and prize money for reaching the final. They were not allowed to play behind closed doors.
China lost a Davis Cup tie because the men’s team was unable to travel to Romania for the playoff on March 6-7.
Xi’an Open WTA event (scheduled for April 13-19) will be canceled due to fear of player safety. WTA has announced that they are evaluating their schedule with a number of events scheduled for China in the second half of the season.
The International Tennis Federation has announced that next month’s Fed Cup finals have been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The event would take place in Budapest, and the league’s playoffs, which would take place in eight different locations, have also been put on hold.
Kunming Open WTA event is eligible for cancellation after Xi’an Open has been canceled. It starts on April 27.
Influenced
The home game of Japan’s home game against Ecuador next week is now played behind closed doors.
Players will be banned from handing over their towels to ball kids at BNP Paribas Open next week in Indian Wells, the organizers said on Friday.
OTHER SPORTS
Canceled
MotoGP has canceled the first two races of the season in Qatar and Thailand. However, Moto2 and Moto3 will ride in Qatar as they were already stationed on the track for pre-season testing.
Cycling’s United Arab Emirates Tour has been canceled with Chris Froome tested for coronavirus and Mark Cavendish locked in his hotel room.
The South Korean baseball league canceled all 50 preseason games scheduled from March 14 to 24. It is the first time since the start of the competitions in 1982 that a whole series of exhibition games has been eliminated.
The draw for the first leg of the World Table Tennis Championships, scheduled for South Korea from March 22-29, is postponed.
A beach volleyball tournament, held in Yangzhou from April 22-26, will be postponed until after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The short track world championship in Seoul is canceled.
Next month’s World Triathlon Series event in Abu Dhabi was postponed on Saturday as a precaution.
The event was scheduled to take place from March 5 to March 7 in the city, which reported new cases of the virus.
Event organizers said they still hoped the event would be moved later in March or April.
The Women’s Ice Hockey World Championships, which will take place in Canada later this month, have been canceled.
The NBA has also been suspended indefinitely after two Utah Jazz players contracted the virus.
The NHL has announced that it has interrupted the 2019-20 season without a confirmed date for it to resume.
All 72 baseball games for the season in Japan take place behind closed doors
Influenced
The Japanese professional baseball league made the decision to play its 72 games for the season until March 15 behind closed doors. Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Japan.
To reduce the chances of exposure to the virus, the NBA has told players not to take autograph seekers’ objects such as pens, highlighters, balls, and jerseys.
In doubt
The regular season of the South Korean baseball league is in doubt ahead of the first game round on March 28. An emergency meeting was convened.
Doubts remain as the Asian Weightlifting Championships, scheduled for March, are moving from Kazakhstan to neighboring Uzbekistan. They can still be postponed.
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