Sports

Taiwanese Teams Challenge For ABL Glory Put On Hold

In a statement released on their homepage, the governing body of ASEAN Basketball – the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) – has now postponed all league games until April at the earliest.

“The ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) is (at) one with the international community in combating the spread of COVID-19 and is adamant in following all the travel restrictions imposed by the governments of our member countries” league authorities said in response to ongoing travel issues and quarantine requirements across the region.

In what is the latest regional sporting victim of the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the ABL follows hot on the heels of professional football in Japan, Korea and elsewhere in at least postponing games.

Most recently, professional sumo in Japan decided to hold its annual March tournament – the ‘Haru Basho’ – behind closed doors. Increasing numbers of other sporting leagues including baseball in Japan and football leagues in Thailand and Vietnam continue in similar form with little to no fan attendance permitted.

The ABL announcement will affect at least 38 games during March.

Two Taiwanese teams are directly affected by the ABL’s decision; the Formosa Dreamers, currently 3rd of 10 in the league standings, with the Taipei Fubon Braves ranking 5th in the league.

Mark Buckton

Mark is a journalism vet of 20 years with most of those years spent in Tokyo, Japan, as a columnist for The Japan Times and numerous other publications. His work has appeared on CNN, in the BBC, NPR, and in several dozen other media forms and publications across five continents.