Coronavirus Update: BMX, Cricket Events Postponed

(ATR) Two BMX European Cup rounds scheduled for Verona, Italy later this month are postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Verona is in the Veneto region, one of the areas in Italy hit hardest by the coronavirus.

The Union Européenne de Cyclisme (UEC) Management Board made the decision a day after new preventative measures were issued by the Italian government aimed at preventing the further spread of the disease.

The rounds, which were to be held on March 28 and 29, are among those awarding qualifying points for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Efforts are being made to find an alternative date on the calendar so that the event is still inside the qualification window.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) says it will decide on Friday whether the Alpine World Cup Championships scheduled for March 18-22 will stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Given the Italian government’s decision to not allow fans at any big sporting events until April 3, it seems likely the event could be moved.

Cricket Tournament in Malaysia Postponed

The International Cricket Council on Thursday postponed the second series of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Challenge League A set to begin on March 16 in Malaysia.

The 11-day tournament involves teams from Canada, Denmark, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, and Vanuatu. The ICC says it is looking to hold the event later in the year.

"We have been monitoring the situation very closely and have concluded that the best course of action is to postpone the event owing to the increasing travel difficulties between countries and the potential uncertainty around teams returning home," ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley said in a statement.

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Challenge League A is part of the qualification process for lesser cricketing countries to book a spot in the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to be hosted in India.

Sport Climbing Federation Delays Plenary

The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Executive Board is expected to confirm on Friday that the federation’s 2020 Plenary Assembly will be postponed until the week of November 9-15.

It was scheduled to take place on March 13-14 in Limassol, Cyprus, which will still host the event.

The spread of coronavirus forced the delay, with the IFSC saying in a statement "This difficult decision comes after the IFSC HQ was notified with a number of withdrawals that have reduced the number of participants by more than 30% so far, and as an inevitable consequence of the traveling restrictions that many countries have already applied."

Written by Gerard Farek

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