UNDER SUSPENSION
● Coronavirus takes hold on major sporting competitions ● NBA suspended for season; Kiwi Steven Adams in quarantine ● Increasing number of events to be played in empty stadiums
Coronavirus started to bite global sport with the multi-million dollar US National Basketball Association suspended, and sports teams across the world playing before empty stands.
Kiwi basketballer Steven Adams was put in quarantine in Oklahoma, and All Whites football matches in the Middle East have been suspended.
A coronavirus scare caused the start of the Oklahoma City Thunder-Utah Jazz game to be postponed seconds before it was to tip off; then the season to be suspended.
Adams, who plays for Oklahoma, was quarantined in the OKC arena, after Jazz player Rudy Gobert reportedly tested positive for coronavirus.
Coronavirus has risen to an estimated 100,000 infections and 4000 deaths, as sports events were postponed, cancelled or played without spectators.
Further disruption looms, after US president Donald Trump said the US would suspend all travel from Europe for 30 days. Some of the sports affected were:
Basketball (US and Europe): All US NBA games suspended ‘‘until further notice’’. The Euroleague has suspended all games in Italy until April 11.
Football: Juventus player Daniele Rugani has tested positive, while in England Manchester CityArsenal was the first Premier League game postponed. France will have no spectators in the top two divisions until April 15. Champions League matches will have no spectators, nor will league games in Spain, Portugal and Germany. In Japan, J League games have
been postponed for a week, in China the Super League has not begun, and there is no date for its return. Teams can not enter or exit Italy. Slovakia-Ireland for Euro 2020 will be played without fans.
Olympic Games (Japan): Any decision to delay the Summer Olympics (set for July 24-August 9) would need to be made before May, a member of the organising committee board has said, but organisers have vowed the Games would not be cancelled or postponed.
Rugby (Japan/France): In
Super Rugby the Sunwolves are unable to play in Japan, and have played home games in Australia. The France-Ireland Six Nations game this weekend in Paris has been postponed. It is the third Six Nations match to go on hold.
Formula One (Australia): Sunday’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne was on coronavirus alert after three members of F1 personnel were forced into self-isolation with symptoms.
College Sport (US): NCAA basketball tournaments to be played without fans.
Skiing (Sweden): The final races of the women’s Alpine skiing World Cup season have been cancelled.
Figure Skating (Canada): The world championships, to be held in Montreal over the next week have been cancelled.
Ice Hockey (Canada/US): The women’s world championship in Canada from March 31, has been cancelled.
Italy: With Italy in lockdown, the Italian Olympic Committee has stopped domestic sporting events until April 3.
Tennis (US/Hungary): The elite Paribas Open tournament in Indian Wells will not be held. The Fed Cup finals, in Hungary next month, have been postponed.
Baseball (US/Japan): The Seattle Mariners are working on alternative plans for six home games in March, due to a ban on large group events. Japan has postponed the start of its baseball season, from March 20, until April.
Running (France/Spain/ Germany): The Paris Marathon has been moved from April to October, the Barcelona Marathon postponed until October, the Rome Marathon on March 29 cancelled.