Comrades to go on as planned, but other sports events are postponed

The Comrades Marathon is safe for now. The Comrades Marathon Association board has said that this year’s race, which was scheduled for June 14, will go on as planned.

This as many other sport event organisers reschedule or postpone events to curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. In a statement released on Monday, the CMA chairperson, Cheryl Winn, said that postponing the marathon at this point would be premature.

“With nearly three months to go, the CMA board has decided that it is premature to postpone this year’s Comrades Marathon. We will, however, continue to monitor the situation daily and will decide by April 17, depending upon how the situation evolves, on whether to postpone Comrades 2020 to a date later in the year,” said Winn.

After President Cyril Ramaphosa pronounced a national state of disaster on Sunday, Athletics South Africa announced that it would postpone with immediate effect all athletics events in the country at all levels for 30 days.

ASA’s decision includes the postponement of all school athletics. The ASA National Primary Schools T&F Championships which was scheduled to take place in Pietermaritzburg this week has also been postponed.

All club and provincial activities, including fun runs, park runs, road-running, cross country, trail running and track and field events and all of all ASA championships have been postponed.

The Premier Soccer League announced on Monday that it would be suspending all of this week’s fixtures, including the Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates game, which was scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

The PSL’s executive committee also resolved to discontinue the 2019/20 MultiChoice Diski Challenge season with immediate effect. The postponement also affects GladAfrica Championship fixtures.

The PSL said that an urgent board of governors meeting with all the 32 member clubs of the league will take place on Thursday.

“Supporters who have already purchased tickets to matches that would have taken place this week and/or on the coming weekend are advised to retain the tickets. Further advice will follow in this regard,” the PSL said.

Sthembiso Lebuso Journalist | City Press

+27 11 713 9001 Sthembiso.Lebuso@citypress.co.za Media Park, 69 Kingsway Road, Auckland Park

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