By Yunus Kaymaz
ISTANBUL (AA) – Many national and international sports tournaments in China were postponed, moved and even canceled amid the novel coronavirus outbreak that claimed the lives of nearly 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.
The death toll in China from the novel coronavirus outbreak rose to 909 on Sunday, with authorities reporting 40,171 confirmed cases. In the last 24 hours alone, 97 patients died as more than 3,000 new cases were detected.
The number of people under medical observation has risen to 187,518 while the number of those suspected of infection stands at 23,589.
Confirmed coronavirus cases outside China's mainland reached 36 in Hong Kong and 10 in Macau. One person died in the Philippines of the virus, thought to have been transmitted to humans from animals, particularly bats.
Many countries have evacuated their citizens from the city of Wuhan and other affected areas of China, placing them in isolated medical care, even as the illness has spread to more than 20 other countries, including the U.S., U.K., Singapore, Japan, France, Russia, Spain and India.
Below is a list of sports events in China affected by the Coronavirus outbreak, which the World Health Organization has declared an international emergency.
– 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 were 150 coronavirus cases in the country.
Some Olympic qualifying events have already been canceled or relocated.
