Sports events affected due to coronavirus epidemic

Guangzhou and the Shanghai clubs will join the competition in April, with their group matches due to be played in May.

Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai SIPG were due to play away at Perth Glory and Sydney FC but Australian officials sought to reschedule matches after their government imposed a travel ban on foreign nationals arriving from China.

A four-team women’s Olympic qualifying tournament involving China, Australia, Taiwan and Thailand was moved from Wuhan and rearranged to be held in Australia by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Vietnam’s government said it would not allow the country to host sporting events in February, meaning home AFC Cup group stage matches for Ho Chi Minh City and Than Quang Ninh will have to be switched to away fixtures.

Ho Chi Minh City will now face Yangon United in Myanmar on Feb. 11 while Than Quang Ninh meet Ceres Negros on Feb. 25 in the Philippines.

The Chinese Football Association said domestic games at all levels would be postponed.

The AFC said the preliminary stage matches of the East Zone of the AFC Cup 2020 have been postponed by a couple of months and will recommence on April 7 due to travel restrictions in several countries.

FORMULA ONE

The Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, which was scheduled for April 19, has been postponed by the governing body FIA and Formula One.

Authorities will study the viability of potential alternative dates later this year should the situation improve.

FORMULA E

The all-electric Formula E motor racing series abandoned plans for a race in Sanya on March 21.

TENNIS

The International Tennis Federation moved the Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Group I event featuring China, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea and Uzbekistan out of Dongguan to Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) in Kazakhstan.

But the Feb. 4-8 event was later postponed after Kazakhstan declined to serve as substitute hosts.

BADMINTON

The Feb. 25 to March 1 China Masters tournament in Hainan was postponed after several players withdrew. The BWF said it hoped the flagship Badminton Asia Championships could still go ahead in Wuhan from April 21-26.

China and Hong Kong were forced to withdraw from the Feb. 11-16 Badminton Asia Team Championships in Manila, organisers said. [L4N2AB103]

BOXING

The International Olympic Committee announced Jordan as hosts of the boxing qualifiers for Asia and Oceania after an event in Wuhan was cancelled. It will now take place in Amman from March 3 to 11.

BASKETBALL

* The International Basketball Federation moved the Feb. 6-9 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers to be held in Foshan to Belgrade.

The FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifying match between China and Malaysia, to be held in Foshan on Feb. 24, will be rescheduled.

GOLF

The elite women’s LPGA golf tour cancelled the March 5-8 Blue Bay tournament to be held on Hainan.