Olunga and Kashiwa Reysol colleagues to go on self-isolation after positive Covid-19 cases

Kashiwa Reysol's Kenyan striker Michael Olunga [Reuters]

Japan's Levain Cup football final has been postponed after 13 players and staff at Kashiwa Reysol, including their coach, tested positive for the coronavirus, the J-League said.

Reysol, led by their Brazilian coach Nelsinho Baptista, were due to face FC Tokyo on Saturday at Tokyo's National Stadium -- the main venue for next year's postponed Olympics -- in front of a sold-out, socially distanced crowd of 24,000.

"We decided to cancel (the final) with a view to preventing further spread of infection," a J-League statement said late Wednesday. A new date is yet to be decided.

Japan has been allowing limited audiences at sports events, but is testing capacity crowds at baseball stadiums with a view to easing current restrictions.

Tokyo is keen to show it can stage large-scale sporting events safely ahead of next year's Olympic Games. The Nikkan Sports daily reported that Tokyo 2020 organisers had planned to attend the Levain Cup final as observers.

Athletics
Kenya hoping to defend World Cross Country title in Belgrade
Football
Fifa threatens Kenya with ban again
Unique Sports
SCHOOLS: Lenana School, Kisumu Girls and Agoro Sare turn focus on national games finals
Motorsport
Safari Rally: 29 drivers set for epic showdown as Safari Rally zooms off