Katie Swan serves up food for disadvantaged families in Wichita amid coronavirus crisis

2020 OLYMPIC GAMES  

The 2020 Olympic Games has been postponed until finally 2021 on March 24 – turning into one of the last main sporting events this summertime to fall target to the coronavirus.

Japanese key minister Shinzo Abe held a very important meeting contact with Olympics chief Thomas Bach on Tuesday to formally make your mind up a plan and they have selected to postpone for 12 months.

The determination also suggests the Tokyo Paralympic Games will be subject to a one-year hold off.

In spite of the hold off, the title of the delayed Games will continue to be Tokyo 2020, the city’s governor Yuriko Koike discovered.

A joint assertion from the IOC and Tokyo 2020 organising committee go through: ‘In the present conditions and primarily based on the information and facts offered by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Key Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not afterwards than summertime 2021, to safeguard the wellbeing of the athletes, all people involved in the Olympic Games and the global neighborhood.

‘The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the globe for the duration of these troubled instances and that the Olympic flame could become the gentle at the close of the tunnel in which the globe finds alone at present. 

‘Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will remain in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the title Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.’ 

There was lots of scepticism no matter if the Olympics would pull by means of and continue on as scheduled even though events joined to the online games had been termed off. The Olympic torch relay in Greece was cancelled on Friday March 13 – just a working day following the flame was lit in Olympia.

Huge crowds mobbed Hollywood actor Gerard Butler as he lit the cauldron in the Greek city of Sparta despite recurring warnings for spectators not to show up at since of coronavirus.

That forced the determination by the Greek Olympic Committee to halt the torch relay on Greek soil on just the next working day of its scheduled 8-working day journey. It is the only the 3rd time that a relay to Athens for the summertime Games has not been concluded.

The Olympic flame will continue to be handed over to the Tokyo 2020 organising committee at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens on Thursday March 19, but devoid of enthusiasts present. 

Athletes had been told to keep teaching but lots of struggled contemplating the authorities lock-down measures put in position. 

On Friday March 13 US president Donald Trump’s recommendation to postpone the Tokyo Olympics for a year since of the coronavirus was right away shot down by Japan’s Olympic minister.

‘The IOC and the organising committee are not contemplating cancellation or a postponement – certainly not at all,’ Seiko Hashimoto, an Olympic bronze medalist, told a information meeting in Tokyo.

On Tuesday March seventeen, Kozo Tashima, one of the Japanese Olympic Committee’s vice presidents and president of the Japanese Football Affiliation, analyzed optimistic for coronavirus.  

The International Olympic Committee and Tokyo organisers have stayed on concept because the viral outbreak in China a few months ago distribute throughout Asia and then the globe: The online games will open as scheduled on July 24. 

Tokyo 2020 organisers received the Olympic flame in a scaled-down handover ceremony in the Greek capital on March 19. 

ATHLETICS 

The Earth Athletics Indoor Championships, which was thanks to be held from March 13-fifteen in Nanjing, is postponed until finally March 2021.

North Korea cancelled the Pyongyang Marathon scheduled for April following imposing a border lockdown thanks to the degree of outbreak in South Korea, where the Seoul Marathon is cancelled in a bid to shield runners.

The Paris 50 percent-marathon is cancelled and the French authorities also decided to ban all general public gatherings of much more than one hundred men and women, right before ordering men and women to remain at residence from March fifteen for at minimum fifteen days. The race involving some 44,000 competitors was scheduled for Sunday March one. Organisers claimed the race will be postponed to a date yet to be established.

The London Marathon, which experienced been scheduled to just take position on April 26, has been postponed until finally Oct 4. Over 40,000 runners had been thanks to just take aspect. 

The Barcelona marathon scheduled for March fifteen has been postponed until finally Oct.

BOXING 

Olympic boxing qualifiers to be staged in Wuhan had been cancelled by the International Olympic Committee, but went forward in Amman from March three-11.

The IBF title struggle amongst Daniele Scardina and Andrew Francillette in Milan on February 28 was postponed by Mat
chroom thanks to constraints in Italy following the outbreak.

The Japanese boxing commission cancelled all struggle cards scheduled for March on authorities suggestions to suspend all pending sporting fixtures. They will not be rescheduled.

The British Boxing Board of Management introduced on Tuesday March seventeen that all boxing events beneath their jurisdiction for March will be postponed thanks to the coronavirus.

That determination has guide to the heavyweight clash amongst Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce staying postponed. That struggle, which experienced been penciled in for April 11, has been rescheduled for July 11 at the O2 Arena. 

Matchroom Boxing has also postponed all events scheduled for March and April, which include Josh Kelly’s European title struggle from Russia’s David Avanesyan (scheduled for March 28). 

The European Olympic boxing qualification tournament in London has been suspended. It was thanks to protected qualification for Tokyo 2020 for seventy seven male and feminine boxers, with 322 taking aspect. 

Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn has claimed Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight title defence from Kubrat Pulev, which is scheduled for June twenty, could be rearranged for July. All Matchroom promoted fights in March and April have been postponed. 

Canelo Alvarez vs Billy Joe Saunders, earmarked for May perhaps in Las Vegas, was postponed right before even staying introduced, nevertheless the Mexican is reportedly continue to setting up to make the bout take place in June. 

CRICKET 

England’s tour of Sri Lanka was postponed on March 13, with the England and Wales Cricket Board citing ‘completely unparalleled times’.

The determination was confirmed even though Joe Root’s aspect had been in the industry at Colombo’s P Sara Oval, contesting a heat-up game for a two-Check series.

On March 18, the West Indies made available to host England’s forthcoming residence Checks from them in the Caribbean instead of in the United kingdom – ought to the coronavirus outbreak not have enhanced by then. England are thanks to confront the Windies in a a a few-Check series, which is thanks to commence at the Oval on June 4 but could be delayed until finally September. If enjoying the series in England proves unworkable, CWI have made available to move in for this series, and also for England’s a few Checks from Pakistan, thanks to commence on July thirty. Even though there are Covid-19 situations in the Caribbean, its impression there has been limited so much. 

The commence of the Indian Leading League period has also been delayed until finally April fifteen. The 2020 campaign experienced been set to commence on March 29. The IPL franchises are also prepared to quarantine their international gamers for a interval of fourteen days, if journey constraints are lifted to allow for them to get there.

On March 13, India’s ongoing one-working day global series from South Africa was postponed, even though Australia’s one-working day internationals from New Zealand will be played behind closed doors.

Scotland’s one-working day series from the United States and UAE have been postponed. The online games had been scheduled to be played in Florida in April. 

England’s cricketers would not enjoy any rescheduled Check series from West Indies in the Caribbean until finally December at the earliest, it emerged on March 19.

CYCLING 

Cycling’s Giro d’Italia has been termed off, with the race scheduled to commence in Hungary in May perhaps. 

The ultimate two phases of the UAE Tour had been cancelled following two associates of employees on the race had been suspected of possessing the disease. 

The Tour de France is beneath menace of cancellation, with the scheduled commence in Awesome taking position in just over a few months, on June 27. With British and French governments anticipating that the pandemic will last until finally the summertime, race organizers are researching substitute scheduling. 

The Paris-Roubaix cycling race, another main function on the French sporting activities calendar, was postponed thanks to the pandemic, while the April 5 Tour of Flanders, only earlier cancelled for the duration of Earth War I, was also postponed in a additional sign that Le Tour is beneath grave menace.

FOOTBALL 

This summer’s Euro 2020 tournament has been moved to future summertime (2021) following a UEFA meeting held on March seventeen. The postponement gives a possibility for European club competitions to be concluded.

All soccer in England is suspended until finally at minimum April thirty – but the 2019-twenty period ought to inevitably be concluded following the FA bend their have principles to extend the campaign INDEFINITELY following holding crisis talks on March 19.

The selections to suspend follows gamers and employees turning into influenced by the virus, or persons self-isolating as a precaution following reporting signs constant with Covid-19.

The Leading League clash amongst Manchester City and Arsenal, scheduled for March 11, experienced presently been postponed as a ‘precautionary measure’ following Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis analyzed optimistic for coronavirus months following looking at his Greek group enjoy at the Emirates Stadium. 

On March 13, UEFA introduced all Champions League and Europa League fixtures scheduled are postponed, as well as the quarter-ultimate attracts for both of those competitions. UEFA hope to conclude the competitions in the summertime but no dates are yet set. 

All Chinese domestic fixtures at all concentrations had been postponed and the period pushed back, the initial soccer to be influenced by the outbreak in the region of its origin. However, reviews suggest that the league could resume on April 18 as China gets to grip with the virus.

Asian Champions League matches involving Guangzhou Evergrande, Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai SIPG are postponed until finally April.

The commence of the Korean K-League period is postponed. The 4 teams in the AFC Champions League are enjoying their matches behind closed doors.

Japan’s J-League postponed all domestic online games until finally the center of March, but additional delays are inescapable. 

Italy, the region worst hit by the virus outdoors China, experienced a spate of cancellations right before the authorities put the inhabitants on lockdown. All activity, which include Serie A online games, had been suspended until finally at minimum April three to contain the virus.

In France, it was introduced on Friday 13 March that there will be no major-flight soccer in France for the speedy future following their governing human body postponed all matches.  

In Spain, April 18’s Copa del Rey ultimate amongst amongst Athletic Bilbao and True Sociedad has been postponed. LaLiga is also postponed until finally the close of March at minimum.

Germany’s Bundesliga, the other main European league, is also suspended until finally April three at minimum. 

The Dutch Eredivisie and Portugal’s Primeira Liga are also suspended.

The Football Affiliation of Eire introduced that all soccer beneath its jurisdiction will cease until finally March 29. 

Key League Soccer has been suspended for thirty days until finally mid-April with David Beckham’s initial Inter Miami residence game delayed.  

The South American Football Confederation postponed this year’s Copa America, thanks to just take position from 12 June to 12 July, until finally 2021.

FIFA claimed that the freshly-expanded Club Earth Cup, at first scheduled to just take position in China in June 2021, will be postponed and a new date introduced when ‘there is much more clarity on the situation’.

On March 13, the FA introduced that all of England’s online games scheduled for the thirty day period would be postponed, which include all those of development teams. It suggests that England’s friendlies with Italy and Denmark have been termed off.    

Euro 2020 enjoy-off matches thanks to be held on March 26, which include Scotland v Israel have been put off until finally June. 

Manchester United clash at Austrian aspect Lask was behind closed doors, with United handing out £350 to every single admirer to assistance with journey and accommodation following they marketed 900 tickets for the Europa League game. 

Newcastle United banned their gamers from shaking fingers with every single other amid coronavirus fears. 

Cristiano Ronaldo went into isolation in Madeira following it emerged that his Juventus group-mate, Daniele Rugani, has coronavirus. Squad associates Blaise Matuidi and Paolo Dybala also analyzed optimistic. 

Somewhere else in Italy, Fiorentina striker Patrick Cutrone, who is on bank loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, analyzed optimistic for coronavirus.

In Spain, 35% of Valencia’s squad employees analyzed optimistic for coronavirus, with all situations staying asymptomatic. 

True Madrid’s initial-group squad had been in quarantine following a member of the basketball group analyzed optimistic for Covid-19. The two teams share the very same teaching facility.   

Liverpool have introduced a charity match amongst a Reds Legends aspect and Barcelona Legends, thanks to be played at Anfield on March 28, has been postponed.

FIFA says it will postpone South American Earth Cup qualifying matches thanks to just take position in March. 

Arsen
al supervisor Mikel Arteta analyzed optimistic for coronavirus on March 12 with the overall initial-group squad staying put into isolation. The Gunners’ game from Brighton, scheduled for Saturday March fourteen, has been postponed.

In the early hrs of Friday, March 13, Chelsea introduced that winger Callum Hudson-Odoi experienced been diagnosed with the illness.

The club’s initial group went into self-isolation, even though two structures at their teaching floor in Cobham had been closed. 

Leading League clubs, which include Manchester United and Manchester City, have despatched gamers residence to practice on your own following the British government’s increasing crackdown on mass gatherings and unneeded social get hold of.   

West Ham chief Karren Brady termed for the period to be null and void even though Aston Villa think no group ought to be relegated. In this situation Liverpool, the runaway league leaders, could confront the horror of staying denied the title despite staying on the brink of securing their initial league trophy in virtually thirty several years.

Studies suggest soccer bodies throughout England and the relaxation of Europe are bracing on their own for a documented total shutdown of each league until finally September.

Leading-degree English and Scottish soccer was originally suspended until finally April three at the earliest. The Football Affiliation, the Leading League, the English Football League, FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship all agreed to contact a halt to aggressive motion with speedy effect. 

Formulation ONE 

The period-opening Australian Grand Prix was termed off following a McLaren group member arrived down with Covid-19, main to the British group pulling out prior to a determination staying created on no matter if the race would continue to go forward. 

The announcement arrived hrs following Lewis Hamilton claimed it was ‘shocking’ that the race was heading forward. 

The Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 19 was the initial race to be postponed, with no determination over no matter if it will be reinserted into the 2020 calendar for afterwards in the period. 

The Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for March twenty-22, is also termed off, as is the inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix, which was scheduled to just take position in Hanoi on April 5. 

It was hoped that the Dutch Grand Prix on May perhaps three would be the initial race of the new period but that has also been postponed thanks to Covid-19. 

The legendary Monaco Grand Prix on May perhaps 24 was cancelled for the initial time in 66 several years right before Formulation Just one introduced their race in Azerbaijan experienced been postponed. 

GOLF 

On March 13, the Masters was postponed. In a assertion released online, Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golfing Club, emphasised that the determination makers hope to keep the championship ‘at some afterwards date’. The initial men’s main of the year was thanks to start on April 9.

The US PGA Championship, the next main of the year, has now joined the  Masters in staying postponed. It had been thanks to just take position at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco from May perhaps 11-seventeen, but has been rescheduled for afterwards this summertime.

Soon after deciding to enjoy with no spectators from the next round of the Gamers Championship onwards, the PGA Tour cancelled the function totally following the initial round on March 12. 

They also scrapped the following a few events main up to the Masters, but following that was cancelled 4 additional events in April and May perhaps – the RBC Heritage, the Zurich Basic of New Orleans, the Wells Fargo Championship and the AT&T Byron Nelson – also little bit the dust. It is hoped that the period can be resumed in late May perhaps.

The European Tour have cancelled all tournaments until finally the well-known Produced in Denmark function on May perhaps 21. Many of them had been thanks to be held in China or east Asia in countries terribly hit by the outbreak.

The women’s game has also been hit by postponements and cancellations, with the year’s initial main, the ANA Inspiration, the greatest profile casualty.

Lorenzo Gagli and Edoardo Molinari had been withdrawn from the Oman Open up on health-related grounds following Gagli showed signs of the virus. He shared a lodge area with Molinari and he was told to self-isolate. They had been afterwards reinstated to the tournament following testing damaging for the virus. 

HORSE RACING 

The Grand National was termed off following new British authorities constraints to struggle the distribute of coronavirus created it unachievable to stage the Aintree showpiece on April 4. The Cheltenham Festival went forward amid some criticism right before the social distancing measures had been tightened. 

The Japan Racing Affiliation discovered that ‘government-sanctioned races’ will go forward behind closed doors.  

Racing in Eire is to just take position behind closed doors starting off until finally March 29.  

The Dubai Earth Cup assembly
will go forward on March 28 ‘without paid out hospitality spectators’. 

RUGBY 

This year’s 6 Nations will have to wait around for its conclusion with all remaining online games postponed.

England’s game with Italy and Ireland’s excursion to France experienced presently been termed off with Wales and Scotland leaving it until finally the working day right before right before contacting off their game. 

Saturday, 31 Oct is a achievable date for the ultimate weekend of matches. 

The Women’s 6 Nations has also been hit by postponements.

The RFU has suspended all concentrations of rugby in England until finally April fourteen, with the announcement coming shortly following the Premiership was halted for 5 months. 

The quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup have also been postponed. All those online games had been scheduled for April three, 4 and 5.   

The RFL and rugby league’s Super League have now followed go well with and postponed all fixtures for at minimum a few months. Eight Leeds Rhinos gamers experienced been confirmed to be self-isolating.  

TENNIS

The French Open up, one of the 4 Grand Slam tournaments, is postponed until finally September amid a huge lockdown in France.

The clay-courtroom main was scheduled for May perhaps 24 to June 7, but that has shifted to September twenty to Oct 4, following the US Open up, which was thanks to be the ultimate main of the year. 

Gamers have been brief to criticise the shift, which has designed a conflict with the Laver Cup men’s group function spearheaded by Roger Federer, and a women’s tournament in China.

All events on the ATP Tour have been suspended for 6 months. 

The BNP Paribas Open up at Indian Wells in California, set to commence on March 9, was postponed at the eleventh hour.  It arrived following a confirmed situation of the coronavirus in the close by Coachella Valley.

The ultimate of an ATP Challenger function in Bergamo, Italy, amongst Enzo Couacaud and Illya Marchenko of Ukraine was cancelled. Equally gamers received ranking factors and prize revenue for having to the ultimate. They had been denied the chance to enjoy behind closed doors.

China forfeited a Davis Cup tie since the men’s group had been not able to journey to Romania for the March six-7 enjoy-off.

WTA events have also been cancelled. The WTA introduced they are examining their timetable with a selection of events set for China in the next 50 percent of the period.

The International Tennis Federation has introduced that the Fed Cup finals have been postponed. The function was thanks to be held in Budapest in April and the competition’s enjoy-offs, which had been set to just take position in 8 various locations, have also been put on keep.

The WTA also introduced no tournaments will be staged for at minimum 5 months.   

OTHER SPORTS 

The NBA has been suspended indefinitely following two Utah Jazz gamers contracted the virus. On March seventeen Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant confirmed he experienced analyzed optimistic for the virus along with a few unnamed group-mates.

In an help to lower threats of publicity to the virus, the NBA experienced told gamers to stay away from taking goods this sort of as pens, markers, balls and jerseys from autograph seekers. 

The NHL has introduced it has paused the 2019-twenty period with no date confirmed for when it will resume. 

The UFC has cancelled its future a few events, whilst president Dana White is continue to pushing forward for the extremely-predicted light-weight title struggle amongst Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. 

MotoGP have cancelled their initial two races of the period in Qatar and Thailand. 

South Korea’s baseball league cancelled all 50 pre-period game which had been slated to just take position from March fourteen-24. It is the initial time because the leagues inception in 1982 that an overall set of exhibition matches are off. 

The initial-stage draw for the Table Tennis Earth Championships, scheduled for South Korea from March 22-29, is postponed.

A beach volleyball tournament, thanks to be held in Yangzhou from April 22-26, is postponed until finally following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Earth Short track velocity skating championship in Seoul is cancelled.

The Earth Triathlon Series function in Abu Dhabi was postponed as a precautionary evaluate.  

The Women’s Earth Ice Hockey Championships in Canada have been cancelled.   

In badminton, the German Open up (March three-8), Vietnam Open up (March 24-29) and Polish Open up (March 26-29), all Olympic qualifying events, are cancelled thanks to ‘strict wellbeing protection’. 

The Japanese qualified baseball league created the determination to enjoy their 72 pre-period online games behind closed doors until finally March fifteen. Baseball is between the most well-known sporting activities in Japan.  

Uncertainties keep on being as the Asian weightlifting championships, scheduled for March, are relocated from Kazakhstan to neighbouring Uzbekistan. They could continue to be postponed.