The raging effects of the deadly coronavirus are being felt around the globe and sports is no exception.
Busybuddiesng.com has curated a list of international sports events affected by the coronavirus, which has killed more than 400 people and infected more than 14,000 in China after it first emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, late last year:
ATHLETICS
– The World Athletics Indoor Championships was the first ‘victim’ of the coronavirus as the event which had been scheduled for Nanjing from 13-15 March, were postponed until next year. World Athletics is working with organisers to settle on a date to host the biennial event in 2021.
– The health scourge also led the Asian Athletics Association to cancel its Indoor Championships which had been scheduled for 12-13 February in Hangzhou, China.
FOOTBALL
– In Australia, officials are seeking to reschedule AFC Asian Champions League matches after the government imposed a travel ban on foreign nationals arriving from China.
Odion Ighalo’s parent club Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai SIPG were due to play Perth Glory and Sydney FC next week.
– The Olympic qualifying tournament involving China, Australia, Taiwan and Thailand was moved from Wuhan and rearranged to be held in Australia by the AFC.
Organisers were also forced to alter the match schedule after China’s team, which arrived in Australia on 29 January was placed in quarantine in Brisbane until after 5 February.
– The Chinese Football Association announced an indefinite postponement of all domestic games at all levels. The development led to a number of players seeking out moves to European clubs the most prominent being Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo’s deadline day loan move to Manchester United.
Belgian winger Yannick Carrasco also returned on loan to former club Atletico Madrid.
FORMULA E
– The all-electric Formula E motor racing series abandoned plans for a race in Sanya on 21 March.
The move puts its cousin Formula One in the spotlight, with Shanghai due to host the Chinese Grand Prix on 19 April.
TENNIS
– The International Tennis Federation moved the Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Group I event featuring China, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea and Uzbekistan out of Dongguan to Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) in Kazakhstan.
But the February 4-8 event was later postponed after Kazakhstan declined to serve as substitute hosts.
BADMINTON
– The 25 February to 1 March China Masters tournament in Hainan was postponed after several players withdrew. The BWF said it hoped the flagship Badminton Asia Championships could still go ahead in Wuhan from 21-26 April.
BOXING
– The International Olympic Committee announced Jordan as hosts of the boxing qualifiers for Asia and Oceania after an event in Wuhan was cancelled. It will now take place in Amman from March 3 to 11.
BASKETBALL
– The International Basketball Federation moved the February 6-9 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers to be held in Foshan to Belgrade.
GOLF
– The elite women’s LPGA golf tour cancelled the March 5-8 Blue Bay tournament to be held on Hainan.
– The PGA Tour Series-China moved its February 25-28 global qualifying tournament to Lagoi, Indonesia, from Haikou, China.
ALPINE SKIING
– Skiing’s governing body cancelled the February 15-16 World Cup in Yanqing.
X-GAMES
– The first winter X-Games scheduled to be held in China, in the Hebei province from February 21-23, was postponed.
