BERLIN – The coronavirus continued to wreak havoc in the world
of sport Thursday with Spanish football giants Real Madrid placing
their squad in quarantine, McLaren withdrawing from the Australian
Grand Prix and the ATP suspending the men's tennis tour for six
weeks.
Football's Euro 2020 across 12 European countries is now a doubt as a
result of the emergency which has seen league programmes suspended
and matches without spectators.
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was
confident the Tokyo Games could be held as planned this summer.
The IOC remains "absolutely in line with our Japanese hosts in our
commitment to delivering safe Olympic Games in July this year."
European body UEFA is to hold crisis talks on Tuesday and said all
domestic leagues, the Champions League, Europa League and Euro 2020
will be up for discussion.
UEFA said representatives of its 55 member associations were invited
to discussions due to "ongoing developments in the spread of COVID-19
across Europe and the changing analysis of the World Health
Organization."
Euro 2020 is scheduled to begin with the opening game in Rome on June
12. Italy, one of the 12 countries hosting matches and the European
nation most heavily impacted by the coronavirus, is currently on
lockdown.
The viability of the Tokyo Olympics continued to be questioned on a
day that the Olympic flame for the Games was lit in Greece in front
of a crowd restricted to 100 because of the coronavirus.
Both local organizers and the IOC insist they are planning for them
to go ahead.
In a statement issued after the lighting ceremony, the IOC said: "the
world is facing challenges that are also impacting sport.
"But with 19 weeks before the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games
Tokyo 2020, the many measures being taken now by authorities all
around the world give us confidence and keep us fully committed to
delivering Olympic Games that can bring the world together in peace."
The decision by Formula One team McLaren to pull out of Sunday's
season-opener Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne has also raised the
possibility the race could be called off.
McLaren's decision came after a team member tested positive for the
virus, and team chiefs informed the governing FIA of the decision to
withdraw a day before practice is due to start at Albert Park.
F1 said in a statement Formula 1 and FIA "have been coordinating with
all the relevant authorities on the next steps. Our priority is the
safety of the fans, the teams and all personnel at the race."
Mercedes driver and reigning F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton had
earlier questioned why the race was going ahead when so many other
sporting events around the world were being cancelled or closing
doors to fans.
"I am very, very surprised we are here," world champion Lewis
Hamilton. "It's great we have races but it's shocking we are sitting
in this room."
April's Chinese Grand Prix has already been cancelled and next week's
race in Bahrain goes ahead without fans.
The ATP said men's professional tennis tour up to and including the
week beginning April 20 has been cancelled.
The affected ATP Tour events are the Miami Open, the Houston clay
court championships, the Marrakech tournament, the Monte Carlo
Masters, the Barcelona Open and the Hungarian Open in Budapest.
The Indian Wells ATP and WTA tournament, which should have started
this week, had already been cancelled.
In Spain, Real Madrid said a basketball player with their club tested
positive for the virus and as their football and basketball teams
share facilities, both first team squads would be quarantined.
Real were due to meet Eibar in the football Primera Division on
Friday but La Liga said that all matches would be suspended for at
least two weeks. Previously Primera Division matches were to go ahead
but behind closed doors without fans.
The World Health Organization says the coronavirus has reached 115
countries with nearly 4,300 fatalities.
Sport in the United States continued to be impacted, with NBA saying
said it was suspending its basketball season and would use time "to
determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus
pandemic."
The American travel ban had an immediate impact on the cross country
World Cup in Minneapolis, with ski governing body FIS cancelling the
men's and women's events on March 17. Events in Canada this weekend
are to go ahead.
But the FIS did cancel the remaining men's alpine ski races in
Kranjska Gora, Slovenia this weekend meaning Norway's Aleksander
Aamodt Kilde has won a first overall title.
The remaining ski jumping World Cup events for men and women were
also cancelled with the overall titles being decided as a result.
Austria's Stefan Kraft wins a second men's overall crown after 2017
while Norway's Maren Lundby secures a third consecutive overall
victory on the women's side.
Biathlon was another winter sport affected with the March 20-22 final
races of the World Cup in Oslo scrapped. The World Cup programme in
Kontiolathi, Finland is going ahead without fans.
The South American football confederation CONMEBOL requested global
governing body FIFA postpone the start of its regional World Cup
qualifying to Qatar 2022.
England's Premier League is expected to make their games be behind
closed doors on Thursday while Denmark, like Spain, halted all
football activity until March 29.
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers said three players have being
self-isolating after showing some symptoms of coronavirus.
In Italy, Sampdoria striker Manolo Gabbiadini became the second Serie
A player tested positive for coronavirus following Juventus defender
Daniele Rugani.
In Germany, which already said it would play weekend matches behind
closed doors, pay broadcaster Sky said it would make lots of games
available on free to air television.
The Qatar International Cup, a football tune-up tournament in Doha
this month, has been cancelled. Croatia, Portugal, Belgium, and
Switzerland were to take part.
Basketball governing body FIBA said all its competitions were
suspended from Friday while the Euroleague was consulting on a
temporary suspension with a decision expected later Thursday.