The Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., organizer of the country’s premier three-category pro circuit, Thursday announced the suspension of all tournaments in the Philippine Golf Tour, the PGT Asia and Ladies PGT over growing concerns related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak that has now affected over 120,000 people world wide with 4,634 confirmed deaths.

 

Close to 70,000 have recovered from the virus, which the World Health Organization (WHO) Thursday declared as pandemic.

“The past few days have seen significant development relating to the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Due to the confirmation of localized transmission and the possibility of community transmission, the Department of Health has raised the COVID-19 Alert System to Code Red, Sublevel 1 as a ‘preemptive call to ensure that national and local governments and public and private healthcare providers can prepare for possible increase in suspected and confirmed cases.

“Given this, the management of PGTI has approved the cancellation of all tournaments until further notice effective March 16, 2020. Please understand that nothing is of greater importance than to maintain the safety and security of our professional golfers, officials and staff,” said PGT executive director Narlene A. Soriano.

She added that the PGTI is monitoring the situation closely and will use the break to determine the next steps for moving forward with regard to the coronavirus pandemic.

The PGT Asia is scheduled to hold its last two spillover tournaments from the 2019 season at Riviera and Manila Southwoods on March 17-20 and March 31-April 3, respectively, with the Q-School for the region’s emerging circuit’s fourth season set on April 22-25 at Luisita.

The PGT, on the other hand, actually finished holding the third round of the four-day Q-School at Splendido Thursday with the first leg supposed to start on March 25-28 at Summit Point simultaneous with the LPGT.

Meanwhile, Arnold Villacencio shot a 68 while former national champion Lloyd Go fired a 69 as they shared the lead at 213 after three rounds of the PGT Q-School.

Anthony Fernando carded a 73 for third at 217 while Tonton Asistio battled back with a 70 to tie Dino Villanueva (71), Robert Pactolerin (72) and Boni Salahog (74) at 218 in the local elims where the top 30 will gain Category 6 status in this year’s PGT starting fields. The rest will be included in Category 9.

CJ Lee of the US moved closer to clinching the low medal honors in the foreign Q-School with a 213 after a 72, five shots ahead of Aussie William Bruyeres and Japanese Gen Nagai, who both carded 73s.

The top 12 after 72 holes will gain Category 7 slots with the rest to be included in Category 9 in the 2020 PGT starting rosters.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Real Madrid went into quarantine on Thursday as La Liga announced Spain’s top two divisions will be suspended for at least two weeks over the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The competition made the decision after Real Madrid confirmed its senior football team is in quarantine after one of the club’s basketball players tested positive for the virus.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

The Olympic flame for the 2020 Tokyo Games was lit in ancient Olympia on Thursday amid an unprecedented health lockdown as Greece registered its first death from coronavirus (COVID-19).

With spectators banned, an actress dressed as an ancient Greek high priestess lit the flame using the rays of the sun reflected off a concave mirror, launching a week-long torch relay in Greece before the flame is handed to Tokyo organizers on March 19.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Jonas Terrado

Closed-door practices, temperature checks and the use of disinfectants are some of the common preventive measures PBA teams have taken due to the increasing threat posed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Not even the infectious disease that forced the PBA to suspend its Philippine Cup games until further notice has prevented teams from conducting their business, albeit under strict precautions.

Teams have been barring visitors from attending practices, namely Magnolia, TNT KaTropa, NorthPort, Meralco and San Miguel Beer.

“We would just like to observe our present situation with (COVID-19),” said SMB team manager Gee Abanilla. “The welfare of everyone is our primary concern and for the meantime, we encourage our team to observe social distancing and boosting our immune system.”

Among the team guidelines which shared by Abanilla include that “those with temperatures above 37.6C are not allowed within the premises and advised to seek medical help” and those allowed to enter the premises “shall be required to wash their hands first.”

READ MORE: San Miguel Beer calls off practice due to COVID-19 threat

SMB held practice Thursday at the Acropolis Gym before deciding to call it a day after completing the session in just an hour.

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Thank you for your understanding and support. Keep safe everyone!

A post shared by MagnoliaHotshots (@magnoliahotshots) on Mar 11, 2020 at 4:54am PDT

NorthPort and TNT, on the other hand, have told their utility staff to wear masks during practices as part of the ways to prevent the disease, apart from the aforementioned steps.

“We believe that it’s the right thing to do considering the situation now,” said TNT team manager Gabby Cui. “We need to ensure the safety of our players, fans and the PBA community.”

The Batang Pier, meanwhile, have told members of the team that “guesting attendance, birthday parties, socials, personal events, concerns should be avoided” and “all travels foreign and local requires prior approval” from higher ups.

NorthPort is also asking players to “avoid handshakes, high fives, selfies, signing autographs and crowded areas.”

In times like this – touch hearts muna, not people (not even your teammates). Sanitize! #NORTHPORT #PBA pic.twitter.com/rYzt2XJ8mA

— NorthPort (@NorthPortPH) March 12, 2020

Meralco is also making efforts to check on the welfare of team members.

“We’re taking all necessary measures to ensure safety,” said Meralco team manager Paolo Trillo, whose team is also doing “close monitoring of the team’s health and daily routine.”

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial announced last Wednesday the indefinite postponement of the matches but will still allow teams to practice until things get back to normal.

Marcial, however, discouraged teams from holding tune-up games during the suspension.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Atlanta Hawks forward Vince Carter may have already played his final NBA game thanks to the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), the eight-time all-star said Wednesday.

The league has decided to suspend the season after a player tested positive for the illness and anxiety that the virus could spread unchecked among fans at sporting events.

Carter has already announced that he would retire after this season.

His five-point performance against the New York Knicks on Wednesday will be his last appearance if NBA games do not resume before April’s scheduled playoffs.

The league suspension is for the foreseeable future but Carter already sounded like someone who was checking out after a career that spanned 24 seasons.

“It’s a weird way to say I’m calling it a career. It really is,” Carter said. “I have 15 games left, technically. But if not, I’m one with it.”

Players said they were shaken as they took to the court on Wednesday knowing at least one player was already ill with the virus.

Mavericks guard JJ Barea said he tried to block the disease out of his mind during his game against the Denver Nuggets.

“It is like a bad movie,” Barea said.

“I’ve got a little bit of fear. But you can only control what you can control. Tonight my job was to play basketball.”

Nuggets player Paul Millsap said he was stunned by the news of the league’s suspension.

“It is a scary situation. Everyone is in shock,” said Millsap.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Waylon Galvez

Defending five-time Philippines Cup champion San Miguel Beer had a one-hour shootaround Thursday before management and coaching staff decided to halt the team’s practice session at the Acropolis gym in Quezon City.

SMB team manager Gee Abanilla said that it is part of the team’s measures in combating the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) after the infected cases went up to 49 in Metro Manila.

“As of yesterday (Wednesday) our plan is to have three to four times practice because hindi naman natin alam kung kelan mag-resume and PBA, and we’re trying to find a balance,” said Abanilla.

“But now we’re finishing our practice early, and we’ll let the players know when we’ll be resuming until further notice.”

The team began its all-Filipino campaign with an impressive 94-78 win over Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok as the PBA opened shot for its 45th Season last Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The league board, in an unprecedented move, announced the postponement of games indefinitely due to the COVID-19 scare, and PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said they would continue to monitor the situation.

SMB governor Robert Non said that the decision of the PBA is “very timely” since various organizers already suspended most major sporting events –including the NBA games.

“The decision of the PBA is very timely because we all know what’s going on right now, and it’s for the safety of players, fans and officials of the league,” said Non when contacted by The Manila Bulletin.

As for the cancelation of SMB practice, Abanilla said it is also for the best of each individual.

“For me the best solution for this COVID-19 virus phenomenon is the social distancing. I think we should be very careful, kasi hindi naman natin alam kung anong nangyayari sa mga nakakasama ng bawat isa,” said Abanilla.

“Of course we can control the environment here in practice, and we agreed to implement some measures like thermal check, alcohol, germ fighting soaps and disinfectants.”

“Still, we can’t be sure what’s happening outside. So kailangan naman na ma-protektahan din namin ang team, and at the same time yung families ng bawat isa. I’m not really panicking but what we want is to have precautions,” he added.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Kristel Satumbaga

Local top junior player Alex Eala has pulled out of her second International Tennis Federation (ITF) women’s tournament in Tunisia on Thursday due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic threat.

The decision was made after the Rafa Nadal Academy where Eala trains ordered all its travelling players and coaches to return to Mallorca, Spain for precautionary measures.

Eala, 14, was scheduled to play in the $15,000 Monastir Leg II where she seeks to redeem her second-round finish in the first leg.

She was to depart from Tunisia via Frankfurt, Germany before taking a connecting flight to Mallorca.

Eala, the Australian Open Junior doubles champion, won her first pro match last week in the opening round of the said first leg at the expense of Nadia Echeverria of Venezuela.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

US superstar Tiger Woods, a 15-time major champion, will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2021.

The hall, located in St. Augustine, Florida, released a statement on Wednesday saying Woods had been advised of his impending induction in the male competitor category in a phone call from PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

“I am both honored and humbled to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame,” Woods said in a statement. “This past year has been such an incredible journey and the support I’ve received from my family, friends and fans has been overwhelming.

“This achievement is the ultimate recognition to never give up and keep chasing.”

Woods, 44, was among 10 finalists named in March as candidates for 2021 enshrinement.

His 93 worldwide victories include a record-tying 82 US PGA Tour titles.

He won his 15th major title at the Masters last April, ending an 11-year major drought after career-threatening injuries.

Woods is a three-time winner of the career Grand Slam and in 2000-01 completed the “Tiger Slam” when he became the first golfer since Bobby Jones to hold all four major championship titles at the same time.

“Tiger has done more for the game of golf than anyone ever thought possible, and his historic feats on the course are only one aspect of his impact,” Monahan said, calling Woods’s imprint on the game “immeasurable.”

The 2021 class was chosen by the Hall’s selection committee, a 20-member panel co-chaired by members Beth Daniel, Nick Price Annika Sorenstam and Curtis Strange.

Additional 2021 inductees will be announced in the coming days, Hall of Fame officials said.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

The World Figure Skating Championships scheduled for Montreal next week have been canceled due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a Quebec provincial official announced on Wednesday.

Health Minister Danielle McCann told a news conference the March 16-22 competition has been called off because of “the risk of transmission of the virus,” making it the latest major international sports event affected by the pandemic which has spread around the world.

About 200 skaters from 50 countries were expected to take part.

McCann said some attendees would have come from countries experiencing local transmission, with little access to laboratory testing and treatment.

As such, the event “might have contributed to the geographic spread of the virus,” she said.

In a statement, Skate Canada and the International Skating Union (ISU) said they “fully respect the difficult decision made today” by Quebec officials.

They said they regret that “the most important figure skating event of the season” must be canceled, but “understands that the safety and well-being of all participants and the community take precedence.”

The two organizations added they would be reaching out to stakeholders, and evaluate in the coming weeks whether the championships “could possibly be held later in the year, but in any case not before October 2020.”

The French couple Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, quadruple world champions in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, were aiming for a fifth world crown in the Canadian city where they train and have lived since mid-2014.

They were beaten for the first time in almost two years at the European Championships in January in Graz, Austria.

Source: Manila Bulletin

By Agence France-Presse

Cancelling the 2020 Olympics is “unthinkable” although the classification of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a pandemic will likely have some impact on the Games, the Tokyo city governor said on Thursday.

“It can’t be said that the announcement of a pandemic would have no impact… But I think cancellation is unthinkable,” Yuriko Koike told reporters.

Doubts are increasingly being raised over whether the Olympics can be held as scheduled from July 24 to August 9.

Organizers have insisted the Games will go ahead as planned and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with whom the final decision rests, has said there has not yet been any talk of cancellation or postponement.

The IOC has said it will coordinate closely with the World Health Organization, which has now officially classified the outbreak as a pandemic.

Koike vowed to work with the IOC and Tokyo 2020 organisers on what she described as a “global issue”, promising to devote her “utmost efforts” to holding the Games.

But coronavirus has already taken a huge toll on sport across the globe with a long list of competitions affected.

US basketball was the latest sport to be hit, as the NBA said it would suspend the season starting on Thursday after a preliminary test on a Utah Jazz player came back positive for COVID-19.

In Italy, the hardest-hit European country, all sporting events including Serie A football have been suspended until April 3.

Arsenal’s game at Manchester City on Wednesday was the first Premier League football fixture to be called off, while Champions League matches have been played behind closed doors and Indian Wells, one of the biggest events of the tennis season, was cancelled.

‘Global problem’

Coronavirus has already had some impact on the Games, as the traditional flame-lighting ceremony in Olympia, Greece, is expected to be held without spectators after dozens tested positive for the virus nearby.

The torch is due to arrive in Japan on March 20 but the arrival ceremony has also been downscaled, with some 200 children originally scheduled to attend now expected to miss it.

Olympic qualifying tournaments in several different sports have also been cancelled, postponed or moved to different countries.

Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said on Wednesday that the Games would go ahead as scheduled although he admitted organizers are “concerned” about the virus, which has infected 124,000 people with 4,500 deaths.

Mori made the comments after a member of the organizers’ executive board sounded the alarm, warning postponing the Games for two years might be the best option under the circumstances.

But Mori dismissed that option, as did Japanese Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto, who told a parliament committee that postponing or cancelling the Games was “inconceivable”.

Executive board member Haruyuki Takahashi had told Japan’s Asahi Shimbun daily it would be ideal to hold the Olympics as planned but “there has to be an alternative plan”.

“The coronavirus has become a global problem. We can’t just hold it (the Olympics) because Japan is OK,” he told the daily on Wednesday.

Takahashi said the summer two years from now “offers the best possibility” for a postponement, given the international sporting calendar, adding that “preparation must start now” if a delay is on the cards.

He insisted that it would be “impossible” to cancel the Games altogether, and said he was speaking out as “a warning bell” for the organizing committee, adding that he would raise the issue at a board meeting later this month.

Source: Manila Bulletin