The spread of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 worldwide has taken its toll and affected several international sports events in China as well as other countries in Asia.
READ MORE: Chinese President Xi urges party to win ‘major battle’ against COVID-19
Two of these events — Fed Cup Asia-Oceania Group I and World Chess Federation — will be transferred from China to the United Arab Emirates.
The International Tennis Federation has announced that the Fed Cup by the BNP Paribas Asia/Oceania Group I event which was the originally scheduled to be held in Dongguan in China this February has been postponed.
Fed Cup Asia-Ocenia Group I will now held at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on March 3-7.
The Fed Cup Asia event comes after the Dubai will also a major tennis event — the ATP Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship on February 24-29.
Six countries from China, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Uzbekistan will compete for a place in the Fed Cup play-offs slated in April.
Meanwhile, the World Chess Federation presidential council meeting was also moved from China to the UAE.
The World Chess Federation (FIDE) said they decided to move the meeting ahead and conduct it on the sidelines of their General Assembly which will be held in Abu Dhabi from February 28-29.
“We are constantly monitoring the situation and I am in permanent touch with our ambassador to China,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.
“Many Chinese chess players are participating in our tournaments and we have Chinese colleagues in the Federation.
“We had a scheduled Presidential Council session in China in late March, but we decided against taking the risks and relocated it”.
