How coronavirus has hit the UAE’s sporting events

It all started on February 27 when the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) announced the cancellation of the final two stages of the UAE Tour. The decision came after two Italians tested positive for coronavirus. Tests on 167 people at the event proved negative, but concerns over the virus had reached such a point that the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) opted to postpone all sporting events until the end of March.

The annual Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships had reached the last two days with the final scheduled for February 29, but Tournament Director Salah Tahlak insisted that the tennis would not be affected as the organisers had taken all precautions to run a coronavirus-free event. The following week, Dubai hosted the Asia/Oceania Group I qualifiers at the same venue without incident. The tennis is now over, but gradually, sporting events across the UAE have been forced to cancel or postpone competitions for a later date.

Football — World governing body Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation decided to postpone Match Day Four and Five of the 2020 AFC Champions League as well as the 2020 Fifa World Cup qualifiers scheduled for March and June. UAE Pro League match days: Following the precautionary measures implemented by Fifa and the AFC, the UAE Pro League has now made changes to the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) fixture dates as follows: Match Week 20 shall now take place on March 19 and 20, followed by Match Week 21 on April 3 and 4, while Match Week 22 will be April 9 and 10 and Match Week 23 on April 16 and 17. However, no spectators will be allowed to attend any of the matches.

Horse racing — ERA race meetings: The Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) has decided to contest race meetings at Meydan Racecourse (March 12), Al Ain Racecourse (March 13), Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club (March 14) and Jebel Ali Racecourse (March 20) without spectators. All races will be contested and regulated in a standard fashion and results will be recorded in an official capacity. Only horse connections, racing officials, sponsors and accredited media personnel will be permitted entry.

Chess — Dubai Open 2020: One of the most popular international events, the 2020 Dubai Chess Open has been cancelled.

Gov Games — The annual Gov Games is a flagship sports tournament for employees working in the Dubai Government sector. The Dubai Media Office sent out a statement earlier this month officially postponing the event. A total of 170 teams across the emirate were scheduled to participate in the third edition of the Gov Games. A fresh date is yet to be announced.

Triathlon — ITU Abu Dhabi 2020: The International Triathlon Union has postponed the ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Paratriathlon World Cup that were due to take place from March 5 to 7. Fresh dates are yet to be confirmed.

Judo and wrestling — The UAE Wrestling and Judo Federation has announced the suspension of all domestic tournament until further notice.

Jiu-jitsu — The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation has postponed all of its events and activities until further notice in an attempt to support effective preventive and precautionary efforts from the international community.