Coronovirus outbreak: IPL could be played in empty stadiums after sports ministry’s strict advisory to IOA, NSFs and BCCI

In a letter written to Indian Olympic Association (IOA), National Sports Federations (NSFs) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the sports ministry has clearly informed that no public gathering is permitted for any sporting activity. A part of the letter read, “You are advised to adhere to the advisories issued by the Ministry of Health and Family and Welfare and ensure that no public gathering takes place in any sporting event. In the event the sporting event cannot be avoided, the same could be done without allowing gathering of people, including spectators.” Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted out the letter on 12 March for better understanding among the concerned national governing bodies across sports in India.

There are many confusions amongst the athletes at this moment. Two Advisories are issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports for matches abroad and the domestic. There's no restrictions on playing but guidelines to be followed strictly in the larger interest of health. pic.twitter.com/RoohGcsOma

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) March 12, 2020

After this letter, it is all but confirmed that Indian Premier League’s 13th edition is set to be either postponed or played in empty stadiums. However, there has not been an official comment from any BCCI official so far on the same. The 13th edition of the IPL begins on 29 March. The India vs South Africa ODI series kicked off on 12 March in Dharamsala . BCCI is expected to follow the advisory in the next two matches, which are scheduled to take place on 15 and 18 March in Lucknow and Kolkata respectively. The ministry has also urged the sports federations to exercise caution while planning foreign competitions and training for the teams, in view of the Tokyo Olympics 2020. “While the government understands criticality of ranking tournaments and Olympics qualifiers, you would understand that the health of the athletes always takes precedence. Therefore, we would like to request the NSFs to adhere by the WHO guidelines,” read a part of letter written by Sports Authority of India (SAI) to all the concerned NSFs. Follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak here