Real Madrid in quarantine, Australian GP in doubt

PARIS: Real Madrid’s players and staff went into quarantine on Thursday, Spain’s La Liga paused its season and the NBA halted games indefinitely as the coronavirus pandemic rocked world sport.

La Liga authorities took the decision to suspend matches in the top two divisions for two weeks after Real Madrid confirmed its senior football team was in quarantine following a positive test for one of the club’s basketball players. The teams share facilities.

Real Madrid said “it has been decided to close the facilities at our training ground and it is also recommended that all Real Madrid personnel who work there remain in quarantine.”

Serie A in Italy, the European country worst hit by the virus, has already suspended its matches until April 3 while France’s Ligue 1 will continue its season but without spectators.

Preparations for the Formula One season-opening Melbourne Grand Prix were in chaos after the McLaren team withdrew from Sunday’s race when one of its staff tested positive for the virus.

Even before McLaren made that announcement, reigning world champion driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes said he was “very surprised” that the race was scheduled to go ahead.

In the United States, the NBA suspended its season after a Utah Jazz player, thought to be Rudy Gobert from France, tested positive for coronavirus, prompting his team’s game against Oklahoma City Thunder to be abandoned just before tip-off when many spectators were already in their seats.

The league said the affected player was not at the arena and was being treated by health officials in Oklahoma City.

In other sports, the Miami Open became the latest major tennis tournament to be cancelled, following the Indian Wells tournament in California.

Norway’s Aleksander Kilde won alpine skiing’s men’s World Cup title after the final races of the season at Kranjska Gora at the weekend were scrapped because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The ski resort in Slovenia, close to the Italian border, was to host a giant slalom and a slalom on Saturday and Sunday but Kilde clinched his first overall title as the campaign ended early.