The Coronavirus is spreading panic in sport, with European football and the Tokyo Olympics in possible jeopardy.
While the World Athletics Indoor Championships (March 13-15 in the Chinese city of Nanjing) has been called off until next year because of its close proximity to the Wuhan epicentre of the outbreak, no other major sporting event has been affected.
But yesterday, Uefa and Japan’s Olympic minister said they are ready to take action if bids to halt the spread of the coronavirus falter.
Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto has told lawmakers that Japan’s agreement with the IOC potentially allows them to delay the Games taking place.
CONCERN: The Olympic games are under threat from a spreading virus in China that has reached the pandemic stage. Picture: Eugene Hoshiko/AP.
He says: “The contract calls for the Games to be held within 2020.
“That could be interpreted as allowing a postponement.
‘We are doing all we can to ensure that the Games go ahead as planned.”
At present, the Tokyo Olympic Games are planned to run from July 24 until August 9 and both Japan and the IOC have insisted they are committed to running the event to schedule.
Under the hosting agreement, the right to cancel the Games belongs to the IOC.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/5_News?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@5_Newsfrom the UEFA meetings in Amsterdam on how #CoronaVirus is impacting sporting events - including concerns about the Tokyo Olympics pic.twitter.com/aThxWpe5dr
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris)
Meanwhile, Uefa has set up a working group with the European Leagues association to handle any fixture fallout caused by coronavirus-related postponements.
With Euro 2020 qualifying playoffs pencilled in for later this month, as well as knockout rounds in the Champions League and Europa League, Uefa admits it will be tough to reschedule.