Asian Games, athletics conferences, Summer Universiade: the sport was halted in China, with the cancellation or postponement of major international conferences to apply its zero COVID-19 policy.
With the exception of the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, held in February-March in a health bubble, China has not hosted any major international competition since the pandemic began.
China wants to prevent epidemic outbreaks at all costs.
Last event victim of this policy: the Asian Games, a major continental omnisports meeting first scheduled for Sept. 10 to 25 in Hangzhou in the east of the country, whose indefinite postponement was announced on Friday due to the state of health.
China’s lifestyle has been normal since the spring of 2020, thanks to its zero COVID-19 strategy consisting of detentions, quarantines on arrival in the territory, the isolation of infected people and the virtual closure of borders. But the country has faced an epidemic resurgence since March affecting several provinces.
Aside from the Asian Games, the Asian Youth Games, to be held in December in the Chinese city of Shantou in the south of the country, have also been canceled.
The Summer Universiade, the international multi-sport university competition organized by the International University Sports Federation, has been postponed for the second time, this time to 2023. It has been postponed for the first time from 2021 to the summer of 2022..
Finally, the two Diamond League athletics meetings scheduled for Shanghai (July 30) and Shenzhen (August 6) will not take place.
Repeated COVID-19 tests, precautions to be taken before leaving, placing in solitary confinement if they test positive: athletes still expose themselves to certain barriers if they come to compete with China.
However, there will be no problem that China ¸to apply now for future sporting events to be arranged when the pandemic is under controlexplained to the AFP agency a Chinese expert.
It is very good that the government strictly controls epidemic outbreaks. If foreign countries don’t understand that, too badhe said anonymously for fear of possible retaliation.
The health bubble of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, where participants took a daily Covid checkup and could not socialize with the general population, now seems to be an exception to the rule.
In soccer, the Club World Cup, scheduled for 2021 in China, has been postponed. The Chinese F1 Grand Prix, played in Shanghai and the ATP and WTA tennis tournaments have been canceled.
Source: Radio-Canada
