Shutdown puts Kiwis in limbo
Once again Kiwi basketballer Corey Webster is stuck in limbo by the coronavirus – though he has plenty of company now as the outbreak makes its impact felt around the sporting world.
The 31-year-old has felt the full impact of the Covid-19 outbreak this year. He has already had one season wiped out in China, where he was playing for the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions in the CBA before the season was postponed indefinitely because of coronavirus.
Webster returned to New Zealand following the announcement of the league shutdown and was immediately required to undertake a 14-day self-isolation period.
That freed the contracted NZ Breakers pro to join Virtus Roma in Italy’s Serie A league for the rest of the European season. Webster had one game for the club last weekend – a behindclosed-doors 93-88 defeat to Dinamo Sassari – before the Italian government announced the cessation of all sports in the country until at least April 3 because of the outbreak.
Webster’s Tall Blacks teammate Isaac Fotu has also been caught up in the mass disruption caused by Covid-19 in Italy. Fotu plays for Universo Treviso in the Italia Serie A league who had to turn back from their visit to Pesaro at the weekend because of the lockdown in northern Italy.
Fellow Tall Black Rob Loe has also been affected by the outbreak after heading to Japan for an offseason stint with Paul Henare’s Kagawa Five Arrows in the national second division league.
Since Loe arrived in Japan a fortnight ago the Japanese league has been under suspension and no games have been played.
The impact being felt in the sporting world by the outbreak is only growing, with the Six Nations confirming the postponement of multiple matches, the Indian Wells tennis tournament being postponed and a several professional leagues electing to play games behind closed doors or shut down altogether.
■ Hockey New Zealand has postponed the men’s and women’s Black Sticks’ FIH Pro League games in Netherlands and Germany because of the escalated spread of the virus in Europe.
Hockey New Zealand CEO Ian Francis said the organisation had consulted with medical advisors, High Performance Sport New Zealand, other hockey nations and the teams as it worked towards the decision.
‘‘Our teams’ medical directors have determined that the risk is too great for our players and management to travel safely at this stage,’’ Francis said.
The FIH, the sport’s governing body, has recently postponed matches in China, while Hockey Australia over the weekend have announced they are suspending all international travel until further notice.
■ Ireland rugby coach Andy Farrell says his players were ‘‘gutted’’ at the postponing of their Six Nations game in Paris. The French government has postponed the match in a bid to prevent further spreading of the virus, which has claimed 19 lives in France.
A new date for the game has yet to be announced.
‘‘It is what it is,’’ Ireland coach Andy Farrell said. ‘‘You can’t do anything but the right thing. The reaction of the players when we’ve come back off a good morning’s work was one of deflation a little bit. Gutted.’’