Feel free to post any postponed sports events that might be of interest.

Cambodia, Iran match likely to be postponed
March 1, 2020 - 18:59
TEHRAN – Iran match against Cambodia at the 2022 World Cup qualifier will likely be postponed due to coronavirus concerns.

The outbreak of coronavirus and the canceling or reducing flights between countries especially in Asia have led many sports events to be postponed or to be held behind closed doors.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has postponed several Champions League matches and rescheduled the women’s Olympic qualifier between China and South Korea.

Now, it seems that the 2020 World Cup qualifiers might be affected by coronavirus concerns.

Hong Kong’s Soccer chief Pui Kwan-kay said it was “highly unlikely” that Hong Kong’s World Cup Asian zone qualifier against Iran next month will go ahead because of the coronavirus outbreak, but hoped to clear the air with governing bodies as to whether the clash can go ahead.

Hong Kong is expected to visit Tehran’s 78,000-seat Azadi Stadium for the away World Cup match on March 26 before returning for their home tie against Iraq in the Group C qualifiers five days later.

Meanwhile, Iran national team must go to Cambodia to meet the country’s national team on March 31 but this game is also unlikely to happen because there is no direct flight from Iran to Cambodia and due to the fact that calls for closing borders have grown louder and that many countries have closed their borders with Iran, there will be high costs for the Iranian Football Federation to send Team Melli to Cambodia.

Iran has four must-win games ahead in the 2022 World qualifiers against Hong Kong, Cambodia, Bahrain, and Iraq.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/445723 ... -postponed

More about the coronavirus:
3 March 2020
A four-star FIVB beach volleyball event in Yangzhou, China, and a three-star Bandar Abbas, Iran — originally scheduled for April 22-26 and March 3-7, respectively — have been postponed, while a four-star in Siming, China, scheduled for April 29 to May 3, has been outright cancelled.

“Once again, the FIVB reiterates its sympathy for those affected by the outbreak, and stands in solidarity with the whole volleyball community in China,” the FIVB press release announcing the cancellation of the Siming event reads. “We will continue to work closely with the World Health Organisation and CVA, and to monitor the situation closely so that China can reassume its rightful place on the world volleyball stage as soon as possible.”

It being an Olympic year, these cancellations, especially of the four-star events, which award large points totals, will have significant implications for those pairs pursuing a spot in Tokyo come August. That is, assuming the Olympics don’t also fall victim to the coronavirus as well.
https://volleyballmag.com/volleyball-tr ... us-030320/

MotoGP, the world’s top motorcycle racing series, has canceled the season-opening event in Qatar that was set for March 8 and postponed the second race on the calendar in Thailand indefinitely due to corona-related travel restrictions.

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/motogp-rac ... oronavirus

Formula One could not hold a world championship race in a country that denies access to any team due to coronavirus restrictions, motorsport managing director Ross Brawn said Tuesday.

Some countries, including Vietnam which hosts its first ever grand prix on April 5, have imposed quarantine periods on anyone who has come from or been in Italy during a two-week period prior to entry.

That has raised concern in some quarters about Ferrari’s ability to participate.

"If a team is prevented from entering a country we can’t have a race. Not a Formula One world championship race, anyway, because that would be unfair," Brawn told Reuters at a sponsorship signing with betting partner 188BET.

Full article on : https://e.vnexpress.net/news/sports/cov ... 63902.html

Covid-19 quarantine rules may prevent Vietnam Grand Prix from happening

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/sports/cov ... 63902.html

Whatsupdoc wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2020 9:46 pm Covid-19 quarantine rules may prevent Vietnam Grand Prix from happening

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/sports/cov ... 63902.html

Well I don't think I'd be tempted to press the flesh in the Ferrari pit. I'd be surprised given the global nature of the event if it went ahead, I'm due in Hanoi the week after so am watching developments.

Latest on the rugby.

England's Six Nations game against Italy postponed due to coronavirus outbreak
Thu 5 Mar 2020 09.41 GMT
Last modified on Thu 5 Mar 2020 11.35 GMT

England’s Six Nations game against Italy on 14 March in Rome has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Tournament organisers faced the option of playing the game behind closed doors at the Stadio Olimpico or delaying it until later in the year, and have now chosen the latter option.

Shaping the decision is the Italian Rugby Federation’s desire to retain the revenue generated by a lucrative home clash with Eddie Jones’ side. By staging the game behind closed doors, the cash-strapped union would have missed out on gate receipts for a potential 73,000 sell-out.

It is the second game of the 2020 Six Nations tournament to be postponed. Ireland’s clash with Italy in Dublin on Saturday was also called off on public health grounds.

The decision comes after an Italian government decree issued on Wednesday night said Serie A matches would not be open to the public until April 3 in an attempt to halt the spread of Covid-19. Italy is the European country most affected by the coronavirus with in excess of 3,000 people infected, and over 100 deaths.

Official confirmation of the decision is expected from Six Nations later today. As yet there is no indication whether the tournament’s other four games are under threat.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/ ... s-outbreak

Formula 1 Confirms Australian Grand Prix Canceled on Virus
David Stringer
1 hr ago

(Bloomberg) -- Formula One confirmed it will cancel this year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix event in Melbourne, adding to the ranks of major global sports disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.

The decision on the race in Australia’s second-largest city was taken after a member of the McLaren Racing team tested positive for coronavirus, Liberty Media Corp.-owned Formula One, the FIA governing body and Australian Grand Prix Corp. said Friday in a statement.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-s ... r-BB117lQY

Latest:
13 March 2020
• Premier League shuts down until 4 April, Football League until 3 April.
• Women’s Super League, Scottish football and major European leagues also suspended.
• London Marathon postponed to 4 October, Boston Marathon to September.
• The Masters golf tournament at Augusta postponed.
• Wales v Scotland Six Nations match called off on eve of match.
• F1 calls off Bahrain and Vietnam GPs following Australia cancellation.
• England cricket tour of Sri Lanka abandoned, IPL pushed back
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/ ... cellations