Daily Times

LAHORE: Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Tournament has been postponed due to coronavirus fears — a disease that has taken over 3,000 lives across the globe — the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) confirmed on Monday. The tournament was scheduled to begin from April 11 in Ipoh, Malaysia but is now expected to be staged from September 11 to October 3. The administration has delayed the event as a precautionary measure, keeping in mind the players’ health. After the COVD-19 outbreak, major sporting events across the world have been affected. It was expected that the PHF would announce its team for the upcoming tournament yesterday, whereas their camp was scheduled to start on March 5. “Consideration and serious thought is being given to planning out new activities for the hockey team,” said the team’s head coach Khawaja Junaid. The novel coronavirus has affected many sporting events, including the Italian Serie A, World Athletics Indoor Championships, Cycling’s UAE tour and World Rugby Sevens Series among others.