BEIJING, March 15 -- The World Curling Federation announced on Saturday that the 2020 World Men's Curling Championship has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The curling event, originally scheduled to take place from March 28 to April 5 in the Emirates Arena in Glasgow of Scotland, features 13 teams to compete for the world title and Olympic Qualification Points for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
The organizers made the decision based on the latest Scottish government advice on major sports events during the COVID-19 epidemic.
The World Mixed Doubles and World Senior Curling Championships 2020 were scheduled to take place from April 18-25 in Kelowna, Canada.
Kate Caithness, President of the World Curling Federation, announced, "Following the cancellation of the World Women's Curling Championship 2020 in Prince George, in the same Canadian province as the World Mixed Doubles and World Senior Curling Championships 2020, as well as the cancellation of the LGT World Men's Curling Championship 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland, we must also cancel these final world events of the season."
"It's with great regret and disappointment that it has not been possible to run all of our flagship World Curling Championships in 2020. Ultimately our first priority is always the health and well-being of our athletes, officials, fans and staff," said Caithness, adding that fellow sporting bodies around the globe also have to make these difficult decisions.
Refunds of the tickets are being offered both online and offline.