The World Baseball Classic qualifying round won’t push through as scheduled.
Organizers said this is part of Major League Baseball’s response to the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.
The WBC, which was supposed to be held in Tuczon, Arizona, will be a two six-team tournament, with the winners and runners-up from both tournaments gaining entry into the 2021 WBC.
The first of these tournaments was set to take place from Friday through Wednesday, featuring South Africa, France, Germany, Nicaragua, Brazil and Pakistan.
The second was to run from March 20 to 25, with Great Britain, New Zealand, the Philippines, the Czech Republic, Panama and Spain making up the field.
The Philippines was supposed to field in in New York Mets outfielder Tim Tebow.
Major League Baseball also announced in their website last Thursday that Spring Training games have been suspended and opening day of the 2020 campaign will be delayed by at least two weeks.
Meanwhile, organizers of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League are taking a proactive stance to the pandemic as they have decided to suspend indefinitely the division finals of the Lakan Season on Thursday night.
Among the affected matches were the Game 3 title deciders of both the North, between the San Juan Knights and the Makati Super Crunch, and South, between the Davao Occidental Tigers and Basilan Steel, slated on Saturday and the National Finals between the division champions.
“Public safety is our priority,” said MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes. “We don’t want to risk our players, spectators, team members and MPBL personnel contacting COVID-19.”
MPBL CEO Sen. Manny Pacquiao decided to suspend the remaining games because of the prevailing situation worldwide.
Though the MPBL has implemented precautionary measures such as temperature reading and deployment of health workers at the venues.
Organizers feel there are dangers involved, especially with the overflow crowd in the South Game 1 held in Tagum City, Davao del Norte and Game 2 staged in Lamitan City, Basilan.
The Steel bested the Tigers, 74-72, in the opener, but the Tigers levelled the series by taking Game 2, 81-76.
Meantime, the North playoffs saw the Knights, the MPBL Datu Cup champions, dump the Super Crunch, 76-60, in Game 1.
But the Super Crunch struck back, 91-88, in a game held behind closed doors at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
In football, the continuing spread of coronavirus has prompted the Philippine Football Federation and Philippines Football League to postpone the Philippines Football League.
The PFL was supposed to have a kick-off that was originally scheduled on March 21, and tournament was to go on until April 18.
The PFF and PFL is encouraging all football stakeholders and the general public to be mindful always of the risks posed by COVID-19, and by observing the recommendations on how to avoid the virus, by being safe and healthy during these times, and to help the nation combat the spread of COVID- 19.