Crucible on cue for July action

SNOOKER’S World Championship has been rescheduled to start in July. The championship, which was due to start in Sheffield last week, has been pencilled in to run between July 31 and August 16, subject to government policy.

The Crucible seats just under 1,000 but the event could be played with a reduced crowd, behind closed doors or postponed again depending on the advice at the time.

World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn said: “The world is going through a very challenging period but live sport can be a massive inspiration for the public and can boost morale. This gives fans of top class sport something on their calendar to look ahead to and enjoy for 17 days.

“It is crucial for our 128 tour players to know that we are doing everything we can to get our circuit going again as soon as it is considered safe to do so.”

Darts continues to hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with the PDC cancelling its events in May and June, including the World Cup of Darts.

The PDC last week rescheduled the rest of the Premier League season and gave new slots to the World Series of Darts, with the latest cancellations seeing European Tour events in Graz, Budapest, Riesa, Sindelfingen and Trier all go.

The PDC said it hopes the World Cup, set for June 18-21, will be played later in the year, but the Champions League of Darts has been wiped for 2020.

Restrictions on mass gatherings in Germany also mean four events in July and August have been cancelled, with a statement reading: “In the unlikely event of restrictions being eased to make tournament play possible before July, the PDC would advise players appropriately of any plans.”

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have cancelled a summer trip to take part in the Queensland Champions Cup in Australia. They had been set to travel Down Under as preparation for the 2020-21 season but the coronavirus pandemic has seen them clear their schedule