China will not host any major international sporting events the rest of the year, putting tennis, golf and likely esports events on the shelf.

The General Administration of Sports announced the only exception would be for trials for the 2022 Winter Olympics, which will take place in Beijing.

Among the events to be affected are World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai (Oct. 29-Nov. 1), the Buick LPGA Shanghai (Oct. 15-18), the Rolex Shanghai Masters (Oct. 11-18) and a handful of WTA tournaments.

“We are communicating with our partners at IMG and the China Golf Association to learn more about this news,” the LPGA told Golf Digest. “We will share more information when it is available.”

Also likely to be canceled is the League of Legends championship, which had been set for Shanghai Stadium at a date to be determined. It could be moved to another location or played online, as all regional events leading up to the championships have been.

The General Administration of Sports said “science and order” were behind the ruling. COVID-19 emerged in China, and despite that, the country has had only 85,000 reported cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. China has been cautious about people from outside the country bringing the virus back.

Source: Reuters

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