The Asian 20km Race Walk Championships in Japan, scheduled for March 15, where 13 Indians were to take part, has been cancelled due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Tokyo Olympics-bound Bhawana Jat was to lead the Indian challenge in the event earlier scheduled to be held in Nomi city.

The Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament has, meanwhile, been postponed. The tournament, which was scheduled to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia from April 11 to 18, will now be held from September 24 to October 3, the organisers said in a statement. India, a regular at the event, was not supposed to participate this year.

Serie A confusion

Italy’s Serie A is facing another week of confusion after the government extended a ban on supporters at matches in three regions because of the coronavirus, but lifted it in Piedmont region, home to title holders Juventus.

The government said that games in Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna, plus the provinces of Savona and Pesaro-Urbina, would have to be played behind closed doors until March 8.

Postponed

Thailand’s MotoGP was postponed on Monday as motorcycling’s premier championship took its second hit in two days from the deadly outbreak.

Two squash events — the Asian Team Championships in Malaysia and the Asian Junior Individual Championships in China — have been postponed. Agencies