By Rahul Banerji
The worsening situation across the globe caused by the Corona-virus threat has forced postponement of the Hero Indian Open 2020 scheduled to tee off at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon next week.
The announcement came on the heels of the latest travel/health advisory from the central government that was released on Tuesday.
Earlier, the government had cancelled visas and e-visas for visitors from Italy, Korea, Japan and Iran, where the virus has spread widely.
The latest notification included France, Germany and Spain, effectively stalling the entry of a large section of the Hero Indian Open 2020 field.
In a joint statement, European and Asian Tours said, “The Hero Indian Open, scheduled to take place from March 19 to 22 at DLF Golf and Country Club has been postponed due to the ongoing threat posed by the spread of the Corona-virus (COVID-19).”
The two Tours are co-sanctioning partners of the event that is held under the aegis of the Indian Golf Union (IGU).
‘All concerned consulted’
The statement added, “The decision was made following consultation between the IGU, the European Tour and the Asian Tour and tournament title sponsor Hero MotoCorp Ltd, after the latest public health travel advisories announced by the Indian government.
“All parties are looking into the possibility of rescheduling the tournament at some point later in the year, but there are no definitive plans at this stage,” the statement noted.
Keith Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour said: “In these difficult global circumstances, we fully understand and appreciate the recent restrictions introduced in respect of travel into India.
‘Correct decision’
“As these new measures now prevent many members of both Tours being able to play in the tournament, everyone involved in the staging of the Hero Indian Open felt it was the correct decision to postpone the tournament.
Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Commissioner and CEO, said: “With these new travel regulations now in place, there has been a significant impact on the ability of our members, officials and service teams of both Tours to make their entry into India for the tournament.
“We will continue to take advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and local health authorities while monitoring the situation in relation to the possibility of rescheduling the event later in the year.”
As indicated, no fresh dates were announced. And with the Corona-virus continuing to spread by the day, it is difficult to see this happening anytime in the near future.
Two days ago, the $400,000 Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open 2020 scheduled to be played in Dhaka from March 25 to 28 was also called off following travel restrictions imposed by the Bangladesh government.
Also read: Strong field of Indian, overseas stars set for Hero Indian Open 2020
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