A wheelchair rugby test event ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games has been cancelled as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Tokyo 2020 organising committee announced on Tuesday that the Japan Para Wheelchair Rugby Championships, which had been due to take place between March 12 and 15, has been called off by the Japan Para Sports Association.
A statement from the organising committee said: "Tokyo 2020 nevertheless will carry out the wheelchair rugby test event in some form in April, after ensuring a safe and secure environment, and will consult with the International Paralympic Committee, International Wheelchair Rugby Federation, and other relevant organisations to determine the new schedule and the content of such tests by the end of March.
"We will continue to stay in close collaboration with all relevant organisations as we prepare to deliver a safe and secure Tokyo 2020 Games."
The spread of the illness has prompted governing bodies throughout sport to consider the implications with Serie A chiefs in Italy ordering postponements in affected areas for a third round of fixtures next weekend.
The International Olympic Committee's executive board is meeting in Lausanne this week with coronavirus sure to be on the agenda amid fears it could impact this summer's Games.
It was discussed too by European football's governing body UEFA at its executive committee meeting in Amsterdam on Monday, and is likely to be raised once again on Tuesday when president Aleksander Ceferin faces the media at a press conference.
Qualifiers for the Women's European Championship are scheduled this week, while the men's Euro 2020 play-offs are due to take place later this month ahead of the finals in June and July.
