Sport tested by coronavirus on the Asian continent

Text by: Farid Achache Follow

Since the start of the coronavirus epidemic in December, several sports events planned in China have been canceled or postponed. Will the 2020 Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo from July 24 to August 9, followed by the Paralympic Games from August 25 to September 6, be affected?

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Less than six months before the opening of the Tokyo Games in Japan, the president of the organizing committee, Yoshiro Mori, once again stressed, this Thursday, February 13, that he did not plan to " postpone or d 'cancel the Games ' due to the coronavirus epidemic. Yoshiro Mori castigated " irresponsible rumors " during a meeting with senior officials from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“ The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates preventing the epidemic from arriving in Japan. The Japanese government is already tackling it , says Yasuhiro Yamashita, president of the Japanese Olympic Committee, in the columns of Le Monde . […] It is a global threat, the Japanese government takes it very seriously. The legend of Japanese judo also indicates that the question of the cancellation of the Games has so far never been raised. “ We are doing everything in our power not to get there. "

At a meeting with IOC members, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike promised to implement " tough measures " to protect people from the coronavirus in the run-up to the Games. Japan has had no deaths linked to the epidemic, but has 28 cases on its soil, including four in serious condition in hospital.

No Formula 1 Grand Prix in Shanghai

This viral pneumonia, now called Covid-19, part of Wuhan in the Chinese province of Hubei, has already caused the postponement of a series of sporting events in China, including Olympic qualification competitions. A puzzle in the process of selecting the athletes who will be present in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, the list of postponed or canceled competitions continues to grow. On Wednesday, the Shanghai Formula 1 Grand Prix, the biggest sporting event to date in China, slated for mid-April, has been postponed and may ultimately not take place. A decision made by the promoters of the event.

In football, the Chinese Championship, which was to start on February 22, is put in brackets. The Asian Champions League matches - the main continental competition - involving Chinese teams, were postponed to the beginning of April, with the exception of those played by the Beijing Guoan, whose squad moved to Korea from South.

Excavations of sporting events with the shovel

All sports are affected and there are many examples. In cycling, the Tour of Hainan, scheduled from February 23 to March 1 on the Chinese island of Hainan, will not be organized, by decision of the International Cycling Union.

In badminton, the China Masters, a tournament scheduled from February 25 to March 1 in Lingshui, still on the island of Hainan, has been postponed sine die after the withdrawal of several players. Chinese sportspeople are themselves in a delicate situation. On February 8 and 9, the Chinese badminton delegation was denied access to the Asian Cup in the Philippines.

The Indoor Athletics Worlds, scheduled for Nanjing from March 13 to 15, have been postponed to 2021. In the wrestling match, the qualification tournament for Tokyo for the Asian continent will not take place in Xi'an, in the center of China in late March. The new host city has not yet been determined.

On January 20, several Asian countries - Thailand, South Korea and even Japan - reported cases of coronavirus in their territories. Other cancellations of sporting events on the Asian continent are therefore expected in the coming weeks.

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• coronavirus
• China
• OJ 2020
• Japan
• Cycling
• Sports
• Health and Medicine

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