Women’s soccer qualifiers early next month for the Tokyo Olympic Games are to be moved from the Chinese city at the center of a virus outbreak to another location in the country, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said yesterday.
Wuhan was supposed to host Taiwan, China, Thailand and Australia for the Group B qualifiers on Feb. 3 to 9, but they are now to be held on the same dates in Nanjing, the confederation said in a statement.
The change was proposed by the Chinese Football Association, it said.
Earlier yesterday, the Chinese Taipei Football Association had warned that it would withdraw from the qualifiers if they were held in Wuhan, saying in a statement that “the safety of players is our top priority.”
The association said that it on Jan. 4 wrote to the AFC to express its desire for the venue to be changed.
“We again wrote to the AFC on Monday and contacted AFC general secretary Dato Windsor John about our wish to change the game venue. He replied that the confederation is re-evaluating the situation,” the association said.
Xinhua news agency on Monday reported that the Chinese Football Association had no plans to move the qualifying matches out of Wuhan.
Separately yesterday, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported that qualifying boxing matches for Asia and Oceania for the Tokyo Games that were scheduled to take place in Wuhan next month have been canceled due to fears over the outbreak.
Boxing preparations for the Games have already been upended after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in June last year took over the competition and suspended the International Boxing Association (AIBA) due to issues with its finances and governance.
The IOC has instead set up a task force, led by member and International Gymnastics Federation president Morinari Watanabe, to organize the boxing events.
The news agency cited organizers as the source of the news. Reporters were unable to immediately contact Watanabe. The IOC did not immediately return requests for comment.
The Tokyo Games organizing committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.
The organizing committee has previously said in response to questions on health concerns for the Olympics that “countermeasures against infectious diseases constitute an important part of our plans to host a safe and secure Games.”
It added that it would “continue to collaborate with all relevant organizations which carefully monitor any incidence of infectious diseases and we will review any countermeasures that may be necessary with all relevant organizations.”
AIBA has been in turmoil over its finances and governance for years, with the federation US$16 million in debt.
It has also been split internally by a long-running, bitter battle over its presidency, which resulted in the resignation of Taiwanese Wu Ching-kuo in November 2017.
Additional reporting by Shelley Shan
The Olympic flame for the Milan Cortina Winter Games landed in Rome on Thursday following a handover in Greece. The flame was carried in a small lantern aboard an ITA Airways flight between the Greek and Italian capitals. Tennis player Jasmine Paolini — an Olympic gold medalist — and local organizing committee president Giovanni Malago carried the flame off the plane. “I feel honored. It’s an incredible emotion,” Paolini said in brief remarks before the lantern was driven away toward the presidential palace. A 63-day torch relay covering 12,000km is to start in Rome today and wind its way through all 110 Italian provinces
The Kashima Antlers won a record-extending ninth Japanese title on the final day of the J. League season yesterday, holding their nerve to beat the Yokohama F. Marinos 2-1. Watched by Brazilian legend and former player Zico, the Antlers went into the game at their packed home stadium with a one-point lead over Kashiwa Reysol in the table. A goal in either half from Brazilian striker Leo Ceara put the Antlers in control, but Yokohama struck in the first of five minutes of second-half injury time to set up a nail-biting finale, with Reysol winning their game 1-0. The Antlers saw out the
Tony Jefferson intercepted a Jalen Hurts pass in overtime to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 22-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday in an NFL thriller between playoff contenders. Justin Herbert, playing a week after surgery on his broken left (non-throwing) hand, withstood a career-high seven sacks to throw for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals, including the 54-yard game winner in overtime. The Chargers defenders forced Hurts to throw four interceptions and surrender a fumble for a career-worst five turnovers as the Eagles fell to 8-5 with a third
ABYSMAL: Wolves have equaled their worst top-flight run since 1981-1982, and they will equal the league’s longest winless start if they fail to win their next two matches Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim on Monday said his team had “improved a lot” after they climbed back into the race to qualify for the UEFA Champions League as Bruno Fernandes inspired a 4-1 rout of woeful Wolverhampton Wanderers. Amorim’s side recovered from their disappointing draw with lowly West Ham United last week thanks to Fernandes’ double and goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount at Molineux. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde had canceled out Fernandes’ opener with Wolves’ first goal in six games in all competitions and their first in the top-flight since Oct. 26. However, Mbeumo, Mount and Fernandes netted after
RSS