People wait in line to take pictures with the Olympic rings near the New National Stadium, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
People wait in line to take pictures with the Olympic rings near the New National Stadium, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The killer coronavirus outbreak across the globe has lead to a host of sporting events being cancelled, postponed or placed in serious doubt.
This outbreak, which has been labelled as 'the start of an epidemic' by France and Germany, has spread into every continent but Antarctica with more than 82,000 documented cases and at least 2,800 deaths.
Having first emerged in Wuhan, China, at the end of December, cases have now been confirmed in almost 50 countries. Denmark, Estonia, Switzerland, Romania, North Macedonia, Greece, Norway and Georgia have all recorded their first cases in the past 24 hours.
People wait in line to take pictures with the Olympic rings near the New National Stadium, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Athletes have been urged to train as normal with Olympic organisers insistent that the Games will go ahead as planned despite the current scale of the outbreak.
Italian football has seen a number of matches postponed while others are to take place behind closed doors with a limited window between now and the end of the season to complete all remaining matches.
There have been 453 reported cases in Italy with 12 deaths so far as they remain the worst-affected country in Europe.
Impacted countries are looking to self-isolate in a bid to tackle the deadly virus and so international travel has been reduced in and out of affected regions.
While individual matches and tournaments across a number of sports have been cancelled or put back, this summer's 2020 European Championships, which is due to take place multi-city across the continent, including Italy, finds itself in doubt if fresh cases continue to emerge.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said the body is fully committed to the Tokyo Olympics going ahead on schedule despite the ongoing threat of a coronavirus outbreak.
Bach told Japanese media in a conference call that the IOC "is fully committed to a successful Olympic Games in Tokyo starting July 24."
Asked whether there were alternatives to holding the Olympics as scheduled, as suggested in a recent interview with IOC member Dick Pound, Bach only said, "I'll not add fuel to the flames of speculation."
Pound, the longest-serving member of the International Olympic Committee, this week raised fresh concern by suggesting there is a risk of cancellation if the virus is not contained by the end of May.
Pound says he estimates there is a three-month window to decide the fate of the Games in Japan while it continues to spread. "This is the new war and you have to face it," he told the AP news agency.
"In and around that time, I'd say folks are going to have to ask: 'Is this under sufficient control that we can be confident about going to Tokyo, or not?'"
Pound's comments came after he British Olympic Association moved to calm a potential diplomatic spat with Japan after a London mayoral candidate caused offence by suggesting the Games should be moved to the British capital due to the coronavirus. Tokyo's governor reacted angrily after Shaun Bailey, the Conservative candidate for mayor, said organisers should "seriously consider" London "given the ongoing disruption" caused by the outbreak. Yuriko Koike said Baily's comments were "inappropriate", and the Daily Telegraph understands the BOA has subsequently contacted both the Tokyo organising committee and the International Olympic Committee to distance British sporting officials from him.
The Indian shooting federation has dropped Italy as a training venue for its shooters and also cancelled plans to set up a pre-Olympic base in South Korea following the coronavirus outbreak, its president told Reuters on Thursday.
Australian swimming great Ian Thorpe says athletes should not put their Olympic dreams before their health in deciding whether to compete at the Tokyo Games as global health authorities battle to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
Fears are mounting that the coronavirus could throw this summer's European Championship into chaos, with organisers confirming they were "monitoring" the potential pandemic.
The deadly disease struck a fifth country (on Tuesday February 25) scheduled to co-host the first pan-continental Euros, with Spain joining the UK, Germany, Russia and Italy.
Three more nations to have qualified for Euro 2020 – Switzerland, Croatia and Austria – also confirmed their first cases of the virus, which began in the Far East but is now sweeping across Europe.
The spread of the disease in Italy has already decimated football and rugby fixtures there, putting England's final Six Nations match in Rome firmly under threat.
Rome is also the venue for the opening game of Euro 2020 on June 12, as well as two other group matches – including Italy v Wales – and a quarter-final.
A Uefa spokesman told the Daily Telegraph he was unaware of any formal discussions about the coronavirus and the tournament, with the governing body currently focused on club fixtures to have been affected.
"Euro 2020 will kick off on 12th June 2020 in Rome. Uefa is in touch with the relevant international and local authorities regarding the Coronavirus and its development. For the moment, there is no need to change anything in the planned timetable. The issue will be kept under constant scrutiny."
ATHLETICS
Cancelled
World Athletics Indoor Championships (March 13-15 in Nanjing) off until 2021.
North Korea cancels Pyongyang Marathon scheduled for April after imposing a border lockdown due to the level of outbreak in South Korea.
Seoul Marathon cancelled in a bid to protect runners following the mass outbreak in South Korea.
A mixed relay Olympic triathlon qualification event scheduled for Chengdu, China in May moved to Valencia. Going ahead pending an outbreak in Spain.
BADMINTON
Cancelled
German Open (March 3-8), Vietnam Open (March 24-29) and Polish Open (March 26-29), all Olympic qualifying events, are cancelled due to 'strict health protection'.
BOXING
Cancelled
Olympic boxing qualifiers to be staged in Wuhan cancelled by the International Olympic Committee. Now been relocated to occur in Amman from March 3-11
IBF title fight between Daniele Scardina and Andrew Francillette in Milan on February 28 postponed by Matchroom due to restrictions in Italy following the outbreak
Japanese boxing commission cancels all fight cards scheduled for March on government advice to suspend all pending sporting fixtures. They will not be rescheduled.
FOOTBALL
Cancelled
All domestic fixtures at all levels are postponed by the Chinese Football Association as the season is pushed back due to the scale of the outbreak in China.
Asian Champions League matches involving Guangzhou Evergrande, Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai SIPG are postponed until April.
The start of the Korean K-League season is postponed. The four teams in the AFC Champions League playing their matches behind closed doors.
Japan's J-League postpones all domestic games until the middle of March.
Inter Milan's game against Sampdoria was one of four Serie A games cancelled last weekend due to affected regions in Italy leading to advice from the prime minister to call off sporting events.
Impacted
The home leg of the Chinese women's national team's Olympic qualification play-off against South Korea set for March is switched to Sydney. The squad are held in quarantine upon their arrival in Australia for January's qualifying group stage due to fears of virus carriers.
Inter Milan's Europa League match against Ludogorets on February 27 to be played behind closed doors. Only rights-holders are allowed to attend as media as club look to secure the San Siro. Ludogorets players arrive in Italy wearing face masks.
Serie A announce five matches on February 28-March 1 will be played behind closed doors, including Juventus v Inter Milan in Turin.
Wolves fans who made the trip to Espanyol for their Europa League last-32 second-leg have been urged to 'travel with caution' after a number of confirmed cases this week in Barcelona. The game is expected to go ahead without issue.
In doubt
England's friendly against Italy at Wembley in March now in doubt as the FA hold crisis talks following the outbreak in northern Italy.
Israel has warned citizens to avoid all international travel which raises questions whether supporters or players will travel to Scotland for their Euro 2020 play-off match on March 26.
A woman looks at displays at the newly opened Tokyo Olympic Museum located near the New National Stadium, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Growing concerns that some matches at Euro 2020 could be called off if the coronavirus outbreak gets worse between now and the summer. The tournament is set to be multi-city.
Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on April 19 postponed with no decision over whether it will be reinserted into the 2020 calendar for later in the season.
In doubt
Australian Grand Prix insists they will go ahead despite an emergency response plan being enacted across the country to deal with the virus. The chief executive of the tourism council says that Victoria cannot afford for the event to be cancelled.
Bahrain Grand Prix still planning to go ahead despite a number of flights from Dubai and the UAE into the country being cancelled this week due to coronavirus fears.
Growing concerns over whether the inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix (scheduled to take place in Hanoi on April 5) will go ahead
The Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific golf championship, slated to take place from February 12-15 in Thailand, was postponed and has been rescheduled for October.
The Honda LPGA Thailand event in Pattaya, Thailand scheduled for February 20-23 along with the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore, scheduled to start on February 27, were both postponed
The PGA Tour Series-China postponed two qualifying tournaments and delayed the start of its 2020 campaign by two months, cutting the number of regular season events down from 14 to 10.
The decision was made to cancel the LPGA Blue Bay tournament in China, with the event at Hainan Island (due to start on March 5) seen as dangerous to players' health
European Tour postpone Maybank Championship (April 16-19 in Kuala Lumpur) and Volvo China Open (April 23-26 in Shenzhen).
Lorenzo Gagli and Edoardo Molinari withdraw from the Oman Open on medical grounds after Gagli showed symptoms of the virus. He shared a hotel room with Molinari and he also pulled out in a bid to self-isolate.
RUGBY
Cancelled
Coronavirus has hit Super Rugby with next week's match between the Sunwolves and Brumbies called off.
"Sanzaar has now been informed that the Japanese Government has requested the cancellation of sporting events in the country for the next two weeks with specific mention of the Japanese professional sports leagues," a statement said.
"This includes the Sunwolves versus Brumbies match that is scheduled to be played in Osaka...".
Scotland Women's Six Nations match with Italy on February 23 postponed due to an outbreak in the Milan area.
Ireland's Six Nations meeting with Italy on March 7 is postponed.
Ospreys and Ulster's Pro14 trips to play in Italy on February 29 are postponed. Ospreys were due to play Zebre in Parma with Treviso the venue for Ulster's game against Benetton.
The Italian Rugby Federation suspends its National Championship and youth games for February 28-March 1.
Hong Kong Rugby Sevens postponed which is a blow to Olympic preparations for Team GB.
In doubt
Scottish rugby announce preparations 'continue as normal' as they discuss with French rugby whether to proceed with their Six Nations match on March 8 following a second coronavirus death in France.
All of Italy's remaining Six Nations fixtures – they are due to host England in their final game on March 14 – are in serious doubt given the scale of the outbreak in Italy
TENNIS
Cancelled
The final of an ATP Challenger event in Bergamo, Italy, between Enzo Couacaud and Illya Marchenko of Ukraine is cancelled. Both players received ranking points and prize money for getting to the final. Denied opportunity to play behind closed doors.
China forfeited a Davis Cup tie because men's team were unable to travel to Romania for the March 6-7 playoff.
WTA event Xi'an Open (set for April 13-19) cancelled due to fears over player safety. WTA announce they are assessing their schedule with a number of events set for China in the second half of the season.
