Coronavirus Hits Sport Events in China

Many national and international sports tournaments in China were postponed, moved and even canceled amid the novel coronavirus outbreak that claimed the lives of over 1,000 people in the country where it emerged.

Major events including the Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are also under threat as the virus continues to spread.

Football

Asian Champions League football matches to be played by the Chinese clubs Guangzhou Evergrande, Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai SIPG were postponed.

A four-team women’s Olympic qualifying football tournament among China, Taiwan, Australia and Thailand was moved from Wuhan to Australia.

Chinese domestic football games at all levels were also postponed.

Athletics

Normally slated for March, the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing were postponed until next year.

The Asian Athletics Association canceled its indoor championships in February in Hangzhou, China.

Badminton

The China Masters tournament between Feb. 25 and March 1 in Hainan was postponed.

Boxing

Jordan will host the boxing qualifiers for Asia and Oceania on March 3-11, instead of Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

Basketball

The Tokyo Olympics basketball qualifiers were moved from Foshan, China, to the Serbian capital Belgrade.

The FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifying match between China and Malaysia is to be rescheduled.

Golf

The elite women’s LPGA golf tour in Hainan — an island on China’s southeast coast — canceled the Blue Bay tournament on March 5-8.

The PGA Tour Series-China moved its Feb. 25-28 global qualifying tournament to Lagoi, Indonesia, from Haikou, a town in Hainan.

Tennis

The International Tennis Federation moved the Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Group I event from Dongguan, China, to Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan.

Hockey

Hockey Pro League matches between the Chinese and Australian teams on March 14-15 in Changzhou in eastern China, were canceled.

China’s match against Belgium on Feb. 9 was postponed.

Formula E

Officials may postpone the Chinese Grand Prix, scheduled in Shanghai for April 19.

The all-electric Formula E motor racing series in Sanya, China, on March 21 was deferred to a later date.

Tokyo Olympics

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are also under threat from coronavirus.

Olympic organizers are concerned about the spread of the coronavirus during the summer games in Tokyo from neighboring China.

Japan revealed that there are 150 coronavirus cases in the country.

Some Olympic qualifying events have already been canceled or relocated. (AA)