THE coronavirus outbreak has decimated the sporting schedule and left major doubts over some of 2020’s biggest events.

A range of sports have had to take action to prevent the spread of the virus, with postponements hitting the Premier League and EFL until early April and all football in Scotland postponed with immediate effect. The Guinness Six Nations, London Marathon and Formula One have also been affected, as has golf after The Masters was postponed.

With Euro 2020 and the Olympics on the horizon, we take a sport-by-sport look at the impact of the coronavirus.


FOOTBALL

The Premier League was suspended until April 4 and the EFL until April 3 at the earliest.

All Scottish football was suspended with immediate effect and the Irish Football Association suspended the current season in Northern Ireland until at least April 4. The Football Association of Ireland announced all football activity under its jurisdiction was suspended until March 29.

England’s two friendlies later this month at Wembley, the Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship were also postponed by the FA. Wales’ international matches with Austria and the United States at the end of March were also called off.

UEFA announced all Champions League and Europa League fixtures scheduled for next week were postponed, as well as the quarter-final draws for both competitions. UEFA called an emergency meeting for Tuesday to discuss the rest of the season and whether Euro 2020 can go ahead as scheduled.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for coronavirus.


OLYMPICS and PARALYMPICS

The International Olympic Committee remains fully committed to staging the Tokyo 2020 Games as scheduled this summer, despite Japan’s Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto suggesting it could be postponed until later in the year.

The Greek leg of the Olympic Torch Relay was cancelled the day after the first flame-lighting ceremony since 1984 to take place without spectators.


RUGBY UNION

The Six Nations game between Wales and Scotland in Cardiff scheduled for Saturday was postponed on Friday, joining the games between France and Ireland and Italy against England.

The Guinness PRO14 was suspended indefinitely.

Yesterday’s Premiership Rugby Cup final between Sale and Harlequins was originally given the go-ahead on Friday, only to be postponed following an individual on staff developing symptoms consistent with coronavirus.


MOTOR SPORT

The season-opening Australian Grand Prix was called off along with the races in Bahrain, Vietnam, China and Holland. Formula One hopes to start the season at the end of May.

McLaren had already withdrawn from the Australian race earlier on Thursday after a member of staff tested positive for the illness.

The opening four races of the MotoGP season in Qatar, Thailand, the United States and Argentina were called off.


GOLF

The Masters at Augusta, traditionally regarded as the sport’s blue riband event, became the first golf major to be postponed.

The Players Championship was cancelled along with all PGA Tour events for the next three weeks.


CRICKET

England’s Test series against Sri Lanka was postponed with the touring players returning home.

The annual Champion County match, regarded as the curtain-raiser to the domestic season, due to be played between the MCC and Essex between March 24-27 at Galle was called off.

The start of the Indian Premier League was postponed from March 29 to April 15 as a precautionary measure.


ATHLETICS

The London Marathon was postponed. The 40th edition of the race, due to take place on April 26, will be held on October 4. The World Indoor Championships were rearranged for March 2021.