Coronavirus: On the frontline with Morecambe, the Football League’s smallest club

2020 OLYMPIC GAMES  

The 2020 Olympic Game titles has been postponed right up until 2021 on March 24 – getting one particular of the previous important sporting functions this summertime to fall victim to the coronavirus.

Japanese primary minister Shinzo Abe held a vital meeting connect with with Olympics main Thomas Bach on Tuesday to formally choose a program and they have picked to postpone for 12 months.

The final decision also implies the Tokyo Paralympic Game titles will be subject to a one particular-year hold off.

Even with the hold off, the title of the delayed Game titles will nonetheless be Tokyo 2020, the city’s governor Yuriko Koike revealed.

A joint statement from the IOC and Tokyo 2020 organising committee examine: ‘In the current situations and based on the data supplied by the WHO nowadays, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Game titles of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo have to be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later on than summertime 2021, to safeguard the well being of the athletes, everybody associated in the Olympic Game titles and the intercontinental neighborhood.

‘The leaders agreed that the Olympic Game titles in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world all through these troubled instances and that the Olympic flame could grow to be the light at the finish of the tunnel in which the world finds by itself at current. 

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

There was a great deal of scepticism no matter whether the Olympics would pull through and continue as scheduled while functions joined to the video games were referred to as off. The Olympic torch relay in Greece was cancelled on Friday March 13 – just a 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 even with repeated warnings for spectators not to attend simply because of coronavirus.

That forced the final decision by the Greek Olympic Committee to halt the torch relay on Greek soil on just the second day of its scheduled eight-day journey. It is the only the 3rd time that a relay to Athens for the summertime Game titles has not been accomplished.

The Olympic flame will nonetheless be handed around to the Tokyo 2020 organising committee at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens on Thursday March 19, but devoid of followers current. 

Athletes were told to preserve instruction but many struggled considering the govt lock-down measures place in location. 

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

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

On Tuesday March 17, Kozo Tashima, one particular of the Japanese Olympic Committee’s vice presidents and president of the Japanese Football Association, tested constructive for coronavirus.  

The Worldwide Olympic Committee and Tokyo organisers have stayed on information given that the viral outbreak in China 3 months back distribute across Asia and then the world: The video games will open up as scheduled on July 24. 

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

ATHLETICS 

The Globe Athletics Indoor Championships, which was because of to be held from March 13-15 in Nanjing, is postponed right up until March 2021.

North Korea cancelled the Pyongyang Marathon scheduled for April following imposing a border lockdown because of to the amount of outbreak in South Korea, wherever the Seoul Marathon is cancelled in a bid to secure runners.

The Paris half-marathon is cancelled and the French govt also made a decision to ban all general public gatherings of additional than one hundred individuals, before purchasing individuals to keep at home from March 15 for at minimum 15 days. The race involving some forty four,000 competition was scheduled for Sunday March one. Organisers mentioned the race will be postponed to a date nonetheless to be established.

The London Marathon, which had been scheduled to choose location on April 26, has been postponed right up until October 4. Around 40,000 runners were because of to choose part. 

The Barcelona marathon scheduled for March 15 has been postponed right up until October.

BOXING 

Olympic boxing qualifiers to be staged in Wuhan were cancelled by the Worldwide Olympic Committee, but went ahead in Amman from March three-11.

The IBF title battle amongst Daniele Scardina and Andrew Franci
llette in Milan on February 28 was postponed by Matchroom because of to restrictions in Italy subsequent the outbreak.

The Japanese boxing commission cancelled all battle playing cards scheduled for March on govt advice to suspend all pending sporting fixtures. They will not be rescheduled.

The British Boxing Board of Regulate introduced on Tuesday March 17 that all boxing functions underneath their jurisdiction for March will be postponed because of to the coronavirus.

That final decision has lead to the heavyweight clash amongst Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce currently being postponed. That battle, which had been penciled in for April 11, has been rescheduled for July 11 at the O2 Arena. 

Matchroom Boxing has also postponed all functions scheduled for March and April, like Josh Kelly’s European title battle in opposition to Russia’s David Avanesyan (scheduled for March 28). 

The European Olympic boxing qualification match in London has been suspended. It was because of to secure qualification for Tokyo 2020 for 77 male and woman boxers, with 322 having part. 

Matchroom Boxing main Eddie Hearn has mentioned Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight title defence in opposition to 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 before even currently being introduced, on the other hand the Mexican is reportedly nonetheless arranging to make the bout happen 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 final decision was confirmed while Joe Root’s aspect were in the field at Colombo’s P Sara Oval, contesting a heat-up sport for a two-Examination series.

On March eighteen, the West Indies provided to host England’s approaching home Assessments in opposition to them in the Caribbean as an alternative of in the United kingdom – should the coronavirus outbreak not have enhanced by then. England are because of to experience the Windies in a a 3-Examination series, which is because of to start off at the Oval on June 4 but could be delayed right up until September. If taking part in the series in England proves unworkable, CWI have provided to step in for this series, and also for England’s 3 Assessments in opposition to Pakistan, because of to start off on July 30. Despite the fact that there are Covid-19 situations in the Caribbean, its effects there has been limited so considerably. 

The start off of the Indian Premier League year has also been delayed right up until April 15. The 2020 campaign had been established to start off on March 29. The IPL franchises are also prepared to quarantine their foreign gamers for a period of time of 14 days, if travel restrictions are lifted to allow them to get there.

On March 13, India’s ongoing one particular-day intercontinental series in opposition to South Africa was postponed, while Australia’s one particular-day internationals in opposition to New Zealand will be played driving shut doorways.

Scotland’s one particular-day series in opposition to the United States and UAE have been postponed. The video games were scheduled to be played in Florida in April. 

England’s cricketers would not perform any rescheduled Examination series in opposition to West Indies in the Caribbean right up until December at the earliest, it emerged on March 19.

CYCLING 

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

The last two stages of the UAE Tour were cancelled following two customers of staff on the race were suspected of owning the condition. 

The Tour de France is underneath risk of cancellation, with the scheduled start off in Wonderful having location in just around 3 months, on June 27. With British and French governments anticipating that the pandemic will previous right up until the summertime, race organizers are studying choice scheduling. 

The Paris-Roubaix cycling race, a further important occasion on the French sporting activities calendar, was postponed because of to the pandemic, while the April five Tour of Flanders, only earlier cancelled all through Globe War I, was also postponed in a additional indicator that Le Tour is underneath grave risk.

FOOTBALL 

This summer’s Euro 2020 match has been moved to following summertime (2021) subsequent a UEFA meeting held on March 17. The postponement offers a opportunity for European club competitions to be accomplished.

All soccer in England is suspended right up until at minimum April 30 – but the 2019-twenty year should eventually be accomplished following the FA bend their possess principles to extend the campaign INDEFINITELY following holding disaster talks on March 19.

The decisions to suspend follows gamers and staff getting influenced by the virus, or persons self-isolating as a
precaution following reporting symptoms constant with Covid-19.

The Premier League clash amongst Manchester City and Arsenal, scheduled for March 11, had already been postponed as a ‘precautionary measure’ following Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest proprietor Evangelos Marinakis tested constructive for coronavirus months following seeing his Greek group perform at the Emirates Stadium. 

On March 13, UEFA introduced all Champions League and Europa League fixtures scheduled are postponed, as perfectly as the quarter-last draws for the two competitions. UEFA hope to conclude the competitions in the summertime but no dates are nonetheless established. 

All Chinese domestic fixtures at all levels were postponed and the year pushed back, the to start with soccer to be influenced by the outbreak in the place of its origin. Having said that, stories advise that the league could resume on April eighteen as China gets to grip with the virus.

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

The start off of the Korean K-League year is postponed. The four teams in the AFC Champions League are taking part in their matches driving shut doorways.

Japan’s J-League postponed all domestic video games right up until the middle of March, but additional delays are unavoidable. 

Italy, the place worst strike by the virus exterior China, suffered a spate of cancellations before the govt place the populace on lockdown. All sport, like Serie A video games, were suspended right up until at minimum April three to have the virus.

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

In Spain, April 18’s Copa del Rey last amongst amongst Athletic Bilbao and Serious Sociedad has been postponed. LaLiga is also postponed right up until the finish of March at minimum.

Germany’s Bundesliga, the other important European league, is also suspended right up until April three at minimum. 

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

The Football Association of Eire introduced that all soccer underneath its jurisdiction will cease right up until March 29. 

Main League Soccer has been suspended for 30 days right up until mid-April with David Beckham’s to start with Inter Miami home sport delayed.  

The South American Football Confederation postponed this year’s Copa The usa, because of to choose location from 12 June to 12 July, right up until 2021.

FIFA mentioned that the newly-expanded Club Globe Cup, initially scheduled to choose location in China in June 2021, will be postponed and a new date introduced when ‘there is additional clarity on the situation’.

On March 13, the FA introduced that all of England’s video games scheduled for the month would be postponed, like individuals of progress teams. It implies that England’s friendlies with Italy and Denmark have been referred to as off.    

Euro 2020 perform-off matches because of to be held on March 26, like Scotland v Israel have been place off right up until June. 

Manchester United clash at Austrian aspect Lask was driving shut doorways, with United handing out £350 to each individual enthusiast to enable with travel and accommodation following they marketed 900 tickets for the Europa League sport. 

Newcastle United banned their gamers from shaking arms with each individual other amid coronavirus fears. 

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

Elsewhere in Italy, Fiorentina striker Patrick Cutrone, who is on mortgage from Wolverhampton Wanderers, tested constructive for coronavirus.

In Spain, 35% of Valencia’s squad staff tested constructive for coronavirus, with all situations currently being asymptomatic. 

Serious Madrid’s to start with-group squad were in quarantine following a member of the basketball group tested constructive for Covid-19. The two teams share the similar instruction facility.   

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

FIFA sugg
ests it will postpone South American Globe Cup qualifying matches because of to choose location in March. 

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested constructive for coronavirus on March 12 with the overall to start with-group squad currently being place into isolation. The Gunners’ sport in opposition to Brighton, scheduled for Saturday March 14, has been postponed.

In the early hours of Friday, March 13, Chelsea introduced that winger Callum Hudson-Odoi had been diagnosed with the ailment.

The club’s to start with group went into self-isolation, while two structures at their instruction floor in Cobham were shut. 

Premier League golf equipment, like Manchester United and Manchester City, have sent gamers home to practice on your own subsequent the British government’s rising crackdown on mass gatherings and avoidable social get in touch with.   

West Ham main Karren Brady referred to as for the year to be null and void while Aston Villa think no group should be relegated. In this situation Liverpool, the runaway league leaders, could experience the horror of currently being denied the title even with currently being on the brink of securing their to start with league trophy in practically 30 years.

Reports advise soccer bodies across England and the relaxation of Europe are bracing them selves for a reported full shutdown of each and every league right up until September.

Best-amount English and Scottish soccer was to begin with suspended right up until April three at the earliest. The Football Association, the Premier League, the English Football League, FA Women’s Tremendous League and FA Women’s Championship all agreed to connect with a halt to aggressive action with rapid result. 

System ONE 

The year-opening Australian Grand Prix was referred to as off following a McLaren group member came down with Covid-19, major to the British group pulling out prior to a final decision currently being made on no matter whether the race would nonetheless go ahead. 

The announcement came hours following Lewis Hamilton mentioned it was ‘shocking’ that the race was going ahead. 

The Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 19 was the to start with race to be postponed, with no final decision around no matter whether it will be reinserted into the 2020 calendar for later on in the year. 

The Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for March twenty-22, is also referred to as off, as is the inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix, which was scheduled to choose location in Hanoi on April five. 

It was hoped that the Dutch Grand Prix on May perhaps three would be the to start with race of the new year but that has also been postponed because of to Covid-19. 

The iconic Monaco Grand Prix on May perhaps 24 was cancelled for the to start with time in 66 years before System One particular introduced their race in Azerbaijan had been postponed. 

GOLF 

On March 13, the Masters was postponed. In a statement unveiled online, Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, emphasised that the final decision makers hope to keep the championship ‘at some later on date’. The to start with men’s important of the year was because of to start on April 9.

The US PGA Championship, the second important of the year, has now joined the  Masters in currently being postponed. It had been because of to choose location at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco from May perhaps 11-17, but has been rescheduled for later on this summertime.

Following determining to perform with no spectators from the second round of the Players Championship onwards, the PGA Tour cancelled the occasion entirely following the to start with round on March 12. 

They also scrapped the subsequent 3 functions major up to the Masters, but following that was cancelled four additional functions in April and May perhaps – the RBC Heritage, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the Wells Fargo Championship and the AT&T Byron Nelson – also little bit the dust. It is hoped that the year can be resumed in late May perhaps.

The European Tour have cancelled all tournaments right up until the well-known Manufactured in Denmark occasion on May perhaps 21. Numerous of them were because of to be held in China or east Asia in nations around the world terribly strike by the outbreak.

The women’s sport has also been strike by postponements and cancellations, with the year’s to start with important, the ANA Inspiration, the highest profile casualty.

Lorenzo Gagli and Edoardo Molinari were withdrawn from the Oman Open on healthcare grounds following Gagli showed symptoms of the virus. He shared a hotel space with Molinari and he was told to self-isolate. They were later on reinstated to the match following screening adverse for the virus. 

HORSE RACING 

The Grand National was referred to as off subsequent new British govt restrictions to battle the distribute of coronavirus made it impossible to phase the Aintree showpiece on April 4. The Cheltenham Competition went ahead amid some criticism before the social distancing measures were tightened. 

The Japan Racing Association revealed that ‘government-sanctioned races’ will go ahead driving shut doorways.  

Racing in Eire is to choose location driving shut doorways starting off right up until March 29.  

The Dubai Globe Cup meeting will go ahead on March 28 ‘without paid hospitality spectators’. 

RUGBY 

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

England’s sport with Italy and Ireland’s vacation to France had already been referred to as off with Wales and Scotland leaving it right up until the day before before calling off their sport. 

Saturday, 31 October is a achievable date for the last weekend of matches. 

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

The RFU has suspended all levels of rugby in England right up until April 14, with the announcement coming shortly following the Premiership was halted for five months. 

The quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup and Obstacle Cup have also been postponed. Individuals video games were scheduled for April three, 4 and five.   

The RFL and rugby league’s Tremendous League have now followed accommodate and postponed all fixtures for at minimum 3 months. 8 Leeds Rhinos gamers had been confirmed to be self-isolating.  

TENNIS

The French Open, one particular of the four Grand Slam tournaments, is postponed right up until September amid a wide lockdown in France.

The clay-court docket important was scheduled for May perhaps 24 to June seven, but that has shifted to September twenty to October 4, following the US Open, which was because of to be the last important of the year. 

Players have been brief to criticise the go, which has developed a conflict with the Laver Cup men’s group occasion spearheaded by Roger Federer, and a women’s match in China.

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

The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in California, established to start off on March 9, was postponed at the eleventh hour.  It came following a confirmed scenario of the coronavirus in the nearby Coachella Valley.

The last of an ATP Challenger occasion in Bergamo, Italy, amongst Enzo Couacaud and Illya Marchenko of Ukraine was cancelled. Each gamers acquired position points and prize dollars for getting to the last. They were denied the chance to perform driving shut doorways.

China forfeited a Davis Cup tie simply because the men’s group were not able to travel to Romania for the March six-seven perform-off.

WTA functions have also been cancelled. The WTA introduced they are examining their routine with a number of functions established for China in the second half of the year.

The Worldwide Tennis Federation has introduced that the Fed Cup finals have been postponed. The occasion was because of to be held in Budapest in April and the competition’s perform-offs, which were established to choose location in eight different areas, have also been put on keep.

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

OTHER SPORTS 

The NBA has been suspended indefinitely following two Utah Jazz gamers contracted the virus. On March 17 Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant confirmed he had tested constructive for the virus together with 3 unnamed group-mates.

In an aid to decrease dangers of publicity to the virus, the NBA had told gamers to keep away from having products this sort of as pens, markers, balls and jerseys from autograph seekers. 

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

The UFC has cancelled its following 3 functions, whilst president Dana White is nonetheless pushing ahead for the hugely-expected light-weight title battle amongst Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. 

MotoGP have cancelled their to start with two races of the year in Qatar and Thailand. 

South Korea’s baseball league cancelled all 50 pre-year sport which were slated to choose location from March 14-24. It is the to start with time given that the leagues inception in 1982 that an overall established of exhibition matches are off. 

The to start with-phase attract for the Table Tennis Globe Championships, scheduled for South Korea from March 22-29, is postponed.

A seashore volleyball match, because of to be held in Yangzhou from April 22-26, is postponed right up until following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Globe Limited keep track of velocity skating championship in Seoul is cancelled.

The Globe Triathlon Sequence occasion in Abu Dhabi was postponed as a precautionary evaluate.  

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

In badminton, the German Open (March three-8), Vietnam Open (March 24-29) and Polish Open (March 26-29), all Olympic qualifying functions, are cancelled because of to ‘strict well being protection’. 

The Japanese specialist baseball league made the final decision to perform their 72 pre-year video games driving shut doorways right up until March 15. Baseball is among the the most well-known sporting activities in Japan.  

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