Formula One has become the latest sport to be impacted by the outbreak of coronavirus, with April’s Chinese Grand Prix now postponed.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the other sporting events which have been rescheduled or cancelled.
Athletics
World Athletics to postpone World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 2020 to March 2021.
📰: https://t.co/0ihe7yGj4m pic.twitter.com/IjqrCR6bSY
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) January 29, 2020
Nanjing was scheduled to host the World Athletics Indoor Championships from March 13-15, but following the emergence of coronavirus in Wuhan, the event has been postponed until 2021. The Hong Kong Marathon – due to take place on February 8 – was also cancelled.
Golf
Due to the continued health concerns and recent advisories surrounding the coronavirus in some Asian countries, the LPGA and its partners have made the decision to cancel the 2020 Honda LPGA Thailand and the 2020 HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
RELEASE ⬇️
— LPGA (@LPGA) February 10, 2020
The PGA Tour Series-China confirmed on Wednesday two qualifying tournaments scheduled for Bintan, Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand had been postponed. The knock-on impact means the four opening competitions – the Sanya Championship (March 23-29), the Haikou Classic (March 30-April 5), the Chongqing Championship (April 6-12) and the Guangzhou Open (April 13-19) – will now not go ahead as originally planned. The HSBC Women’s World Championships was set for Singapore at the end of February, but along with the Honda LPGA Thailand in Pattaya, have both been called off. The Blue Bay LPGA, scheduled for the start of March on the southern Chinese island of Hainan, will now also not take place due to the continued health concerns in the region.
Football
The Chinese Football Association has postponed domestic matches, with the Chinese Super League supposed to start on February 22. The impact of coronavirus has also meant the rescheduling of Asian Champions League fixtures which are set to involve Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai SIPG. Australia will now host a four-team Asian Olympics women’s qualifying tournament, which has been moved from Wuhan.
Tennis
The ITF has today announced that the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Asia/Oceania Group I event due to take place on 4-8 February has been postponed. Initially relocated to Kazakhstan from China, growing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak have led to this decision.
— ITF Media (@ITFMedia) January 29, 2020
Having already seen the impact of the Australian bush fires on the start of the 2020 season, the International Tennis Federation made the decision to move the Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Group I event from Dongguan, China, to Kazakhstan. The event, though, was eventually scrapped after organisers in Nur-Sultan declined to take up the role of replacement hosts.
Motor Sport
Given the decision had already been taken to cancel the Chinese Formula E Grand Prix in Sanya towards the end of March 21, it was perhaps no real surprise that the F1 showpiece event in Shanghai would come into doubt.
Boxing
Amman in Jordan is set to host the Asia and Oceania International Olympic Committee boxing qualifiers instead of Wuhan.
Snooker
We've joined forces with @WPBSAofficial to raise money to support those affected by the coronavirus in China.
There will be a donation of £1,000 for every century break made at this week’s @manbetxofficial ManBetX Welsh Open.
🔗 Info: https://t.co/g4L0FthSPj #WelshOpen pic.twitter.com/KbMinqZzMX
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) February 10, 2020
The lucrative China Open ranking event in Beijing was set to take place from March 30 until April 5 as part of the build-up to the World Championship in Sheffield. However, concerns over the coronavirus outbreak saw the World Snooker Tour cancel the event, with discussions continuing over when it can be played.
Skiing
Yanqing was set to host a round of the FIS World Cup over February 15/16, but the event was cancelled by the governing body amid the growing concerns, with the World Health Organization having declared coronavirus as a global emergency.
Basketball
Great Britian's Olympic Qualifying Tournament switched from China to Serbia because of coronavirus outbreak
More: https://t.co/ur2MegmtyF#BritishBasketball pic.twitter.com/qnZANaRmIp
— GB Basketball (@gbbasketball) January 27, 2020
The Women’s basketball Olympics qualifiers were switched from Foshan to Belgrade, Serbia – where Great Britain saw their hopes of reaching Tokyo 2020 dashed.
Hockey
The matches between China and Australia in the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League have been put on hold.
The games were scheduled for 14 and 15 March in Changzhou. #FIHProLeague@hockeyaustralia
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) February 7, 2020
India women’s hockey tour of China has been cancelled, while the International Hockey Federation also announced that the FIH Hockey Pro League matches between Australia and China, set to be played on March 14 and 15 in Chengdu, will also be put on hold.
Badminton
Following several players puling out of the China Masters in Hainan, the competition was eventually cancelled. The China and Hong Kong’s men and women squad as well as India’s women withdrew from the Asia Team Championships in Manila. A decision has yet to be made over whether the Asia Championships will run as planned in Wuhan at the end of April.
