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China postpones 2020 football season over virus fears

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/reuters/01/30/20200130-coronavirus.jpg"/><figcaption>A woman wearing a face mask and goggles uses an escalator near the Beijing Railway Station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus in Beijing, China, Jan. 30, 2020. Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Reuters</figcaption></figure></div>BEIJING - China announced Thursday the suspension of all domestic football and postponed indefinitely the top-flight Chinese Super League (CSL) season in response to the deadly viral outbreak sweeping the country. The CSL 2020 campaign had been due to kick off on Feb. 22, but was shelved along with &quot;all types of football matches&quot; in order to &quot;carry out prevention and control of the pneumonia epidemic,&quot; said a Chinese Football Association statement.The announcement comes just a few hours after the World Indoor Athletics Championships, scheduled to take place in the Chinese city of Nanjing in March, were postponed until 2021 after advice from the World Health Organization.Football is fanatically followed in the world&#x27;s most populous nation with cash-rich clubs importing expensive foreign signings such as Brazilians Hulk and Oscar, and Argentina&#x27;s Carlos Tevez in recent years.It becomes the latest sport to be hit by the virus which by Thursday had seen more than 7,700 cases confirmed in China with at least 170 fatalities. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/30/20/china-virus-death-toll-rises-to-169-more-than-1000-new-cases">China virus death toll rises to 170, more than 1,700 new cases</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/27/20/the-global-spread-of-the-coronavirus-where-is-it">The global spread of the coronavirus: Where is it? </a></li></ul>The virus has spread from the epicenter of Wuhan to more than 15 countries, with about 60 cases in Asia, Europe, North America and, most recently, the Middle East. On Wednesday, World Cup skiing races, the first test events for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, were canceled because of the outbreak. The men&#x27;s downhill and super-G races were scheduled for Feb. 15 and 16 in Yanqing, 70 kilometers northwest of Beijing.<div>WORLD CUP QUALIFYING</div>In Australia, the China women&#x27;s football team has been quarantined in a Brisbane hotel after arriving for an Olympic qualifying competition which had been originally due to take place in Wuhan.The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Wednesday ordered all 4 Chinese clubs&#x27; first 3 fixtures in the continent&#x27;s Champions League&#x27;s group stage in February and March to be played away from home.The AFC said the decision was a &quot;precautionary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of all participating players and teams.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/29/20/china-womens-football-team-quarantined-in-australia-over-coronavirus-fears">China women&#x27;s football team quarantined in Australia over coronavirus fears </a></li></ul>The CFA said any decision on postponing or moving international fixtures would be made at a later date. China is due to host the Maldives in a World Cup qualifying match on March 26 and travel to Guam for another qualifier on March 31.&quot;The CFA will continue to maintain close communication with national authorities, and decide each event&#x27;s timing separately based on the actual development of the epidemic situation in each locality,&quot; the statement said. Earlier this month the International Tennis Federation moved next week&#x27;s Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Group I event from Dongguan, southern China, to Kazakhstan on Feb. 4 to 8.The Asian indoor athletics championships planned for Feb. 12 to 13 in Hangzhou have also been canceled.

China announced Thursday the suspension of all domestic football and postponed indefinitely the top-flight Chinese Super League (CSL) season in response to the deadly viral outbreak sweeping the country.

China announced Thursday the suspension of all domestic football and postponed indefinitely the top-flight Chinese Super League (CSL) season in response to the deadly viral outbreak sweeping the country.