Coronavirus forces India's hockey tour of China to be abandoned
The coronavirus outbreak in China has forced a number of sporting events to be called off. Among the latest includes the women's hockey team of India, who were compelled to call off their tour of the nation. They were scheduled to play some games as a part of their preparations campaign for the Tokyo Olympics this year. Here are further details on this.
China tour call off a setback for Team India
The cancellation of the China tour comes as a major setback for Team India as playing against a top team would have allowed them to prepare better for the upcoming Olympics. Nonetheless, India would start looking for other options as a part of their preparations.
India wary of unavailability of other top teams for preparations
Meanwhile, Team India skipper, Rani, has said that while the tour cancellation is unfortunate, they would look to play another top side. However, most of the teams are unavailable due to their Pro Hockey League commitments. "Hockey India and our coaches are working out whom to play. For good preparation, you need to play with good teams," she said.
Hockey India has tough time considering fresh team for preparations
As of now, top teams like Argentina, Belgium, Australia, Germany, China, Great Britain, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United States are unavailable. However, teams like England, Spain, Ireland, Korea, Japan, and others could still be available, as Hockey India could use either one of them to continue their Olympic preparations. Meanwhile, the Indian team has a four-week training and conditioning camp, starting February 16.
What is the coronavirus outbreak?
First detected in mid-December in China's Wuhan, the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) or "Wuhan Coronavirus" has infected over 28,000 people worldwide, with most cases witnessed in China. The virus impacts a host's respiratory faculties causing flu-like symptoms and in severe cases, pneumonia, multiple organ failure, and even death. The viral infection has killed 565 people: 563 in China and one in the Philippines.
Tokyo Olympics under threat as well
Meanwhile, there is a danger lurking upon the Tokyo Olympics itself, as the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country has jeopardized the chances of hosting it. As a result, it could also be abandoned this term. The competition is set to run from July 2 to August 9. As of now, the host country has more than five months to curb the situation.
Other sports affected in China due to coronavirus
As for other sports that were affected due to the coronavirus: Athletics: World Athletics Indoor Championships Football: Asian Champions League and Olympics qualifiers Motorsport: Formula E and Chinese Grand Prix (Formula 1) Badminton: China Masters Boxing: Olympics qualifiers Basketball: Olympics qualifiers and FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers Golf: LPGA Tour and PGA Tour Series-China
