The Longines Masters of Hong Kong show jumping tournament, set for Feb. 14-16, has been cancelled as a precaution following recent developments in the 2019-nCoV coronavirus outbreak.
“With more than 35,000 people expected from Hong Kong, Asia and around the world, the safety of our audience, athletes, visitors, exhibitors, service providers, internal teams, as well as that of the horses taking part in the events of the Longines Masters Series, is an absolute priority,” said Christophe Ameeuw, founder and president of EEM, which presents the show.
Riders involved will be contacted individually by EEM and ticket holders in will be reimbursed.
Meanwhile, German Olympic Sports Confederation President Alfons Hörmann has described the coronavirus as the “greatest threat” to the this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
Though the Games don’t start until July, it’s wreaking a bit of havoc at the moment, as itI has meant a number of sporting events had to be moved from China.
As Hörmann noted, “This is a serious problem because there is no other area in life that lives more from international exchange than sport.”
He mentioned, however, that there had been a similar situation before the Rio 2016 Games with the spread of zika, but that got solved.
The Japanese government this week confirmed the first case of coronavirus in that country, a bus driver who drove two groups of Chinese tourists from Wuhan last month. Now six more people in Japan have been affected.
Next month’s Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, scheduled for Hangzhou, has been moved out of China.
The International Basketball Association announced its Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Tokyo 2020 is to be moved from Foshan, China to Belgrade, Serbia, while the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020 Asian Qualifiers Final Round – Group B has been moved out of China to Sydney, Australia. Chinese ice hockey clubs from the Supreme Hockey League have been told to play their home games in Russia due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
The World Athletics Indoor Championships slated for Nanjing, China in March has been postponed to 2021..