Formula E race in China cancelled due to coronavirus concerns

World Indoor Athletics Championships and the China Open snooker event have also been postponed

The race had been scheduled to take place on 21 March (Getty)

The scheduled Formula E in China has been cancelled due to the coronavirus emergency.

The E-Prix, scheduled for 21 March in Sanya, will no longer go ahead, the sport’s governing body said on Sunday.

“Given the current growing health concerns and with the World Health Organisation declaring the coronavirus an international emergency, Formula E has taken the necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of its travelling staff, championship participants and spectators, which remains of paramount importance,” a statement read.

“We are working closely with our regional partner and the local authorities in Hainan Province and Sanya Municipal Government to continue monitoring the situation as it develops. All parties will take the appropriate amount of time to study the viability of potential alternative dates, should the situation improve.”

The outbreak has already affected Olympic-related events. A women’s basketball qualifying tournament featuring Great Britain was moved from China to Serbia earlier this week, while new dates have been scheduled for women’s football qualifiers in Australia in February after the Chinese team were held in isolation in Brisbane.

The most high-profile event affected so far is the World Indoor Athletics Championships, which had been due to take place in Nanjing in March but have now been postponed until 2021.

The China Open snooker event, which was scheduled to take place in Beijing between 30 March and 5 April, has been postponed according to World Snooker. Discussions around staging the event at a later date are ongoing.

The LPGA Tour’s Blue Bay golf event, due to be staged on Hainan Island 5-8 March, has been removed from the schedule.

PA