Tokyo Paralympics 2020: Wheelchair Rugby test event cancelled due to coronavirus

Modified Mar 05, 2020 18:31 IST

Another event has to shift or cancel amid coronavirus outbreak

What's the story?

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic organisers and the Japan Para Sports Association have cancelled Japan Wheelchair Rugby Championships that also doubled up as the Wheelchair Rugby test event. The event, that was originally scheduled for March 12-15, joins the long list of sports events that have been cancelled due to the coronavirus.

The background

A mixed-gender team sport, Wheelchair Rugby was invented back in 1977 by Canadian quadriplegic athletes.

A test event for the Olympics is a dress rehearsal to improve the competition and check the Olympics Games' operation capabilities. It is carried out quite literally as a test to see if that particular event will be operationally successful for the Olympic or Paralympic Games.

Last month, a boccia competition, that also doubled up as a test event was postponed. The Tokyo marathon conducted on March 1 also saw the participation of elite athletes and was closed to general participation.

Also Checkout: the full Olympics 2020 Schedule

The heart of the matter

The cancellation of the Wheelchair Rugby test event comes in line with the policy of the Japanese government that discourages large-crowd events in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic. It is a move that aims to stem the spread of the deadly virus.

However, the Tokyo Paralympics organizers revealed in a statement that they plan to conduct a test event in April 'in some form' but it will be without any overseas teams. A statement from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics organizers read as follows (as per Reuters):

"The Japan Para Sports Association (JPSA) informed us the 2020 Japan Para Wheelchair Rugby Championships, scheduled for 12 to 15 March, has been cancelled. Tokyo 2020 nevertheless will carry out the wheelchair rugby test event in some form in April, after ensuring a safe and secure environment."

What's next?

There are a total of 17 test events for Tokyo Olympics scheduled in the coming months. The last one is scheduled for May 8. While most of the events will be featuring only local athletes, events such as the gymnastics test event (scheduled for April 4-6) will also feature overseas athletes. It remains to be seen what will be the fate of the other test events. Meanwhile, the Sports Climbing test event that is scheduled to begin on March 27 is likely to go on as planned.

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