Sports News Roundup: Golf's Masters postponed; London marathon postponed and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Golf's Masters postponed, English soccer suspended as coronavirus wreaks havoc

Golf's jewel in the crown The Masters and English soccer's Premier League joined the lengthening list of elite sporting events to fall foul of the coronavirus pandemic on Friday. Few dates on the global sporting calendar are as keenly-anticipated as the Augusta National showpiece, but organizers moved swiftly to postpone golf's opening major, which was due to be played between April 9-12, throwing the elite championship golf schedule into a state of flux.

London marathon postponed to October due to coronavirus

The annual London marathon which was due to take place on April 26 has been postponed to Oct. 4 because of coronavirus, the organizers said on Friday, marking the latest in a long line of major international sport events disrupted by the pandemic. "The world is in an unprecedented situation grappling with a global pandemic of COVID-19 and public health is everyone's priority," event director Hugh Brasher said in a statement.

FIFA recommends March, April internationals be postponed

FIFA has recommended that all international matches scheduled to be played in March and April be postponed because of the coronavirus and said that clubs would not be obliged to release players for any games that go ahead. The South American and Asian World Cup qualifiers which were due to be played have already been postponed. However, European body UEFA has not yet called off the Euro 2020 playoff matches which involve a total of 16 teams.

Golf: Masters postponed to 'some later date' due to coronavirus

The Masters, which brings together the world's best golfers in April for the year's first major, has been postponed because of concerns about the coronavirus, Augusta National Golf Club said on Friday. People from all over the world attend the Masters at Augusta National, which this year was scheduled for April 9-12, and the club said it hopes the postponement will allow it to host the event safely at a later date.

Tokyo governor vows full measures to combat coronavirus during Torch relay

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike on Saturday vowed to take thorough measures against the coronavirus outbreak for the Olympic Torch relay through Japan and reaffirmed that preparations for a "safe and secure" 2020 Games were progressing, TV Asahi reported. Koike's comments came after Greece's Olympic Committee on Friday canceled the remainder of the Olympic Torch relay through the country to avoid attracting crowds that could raise the risk of virus contagion.

NBA stars, owners pledge donations for workers furloughed by coronavirus shutdown

As the bright lights of professional sports go dark across the United States this week, some top names from the NBA were pitching in to ease the burden for arena and stadium staff facing the grim possibility of weeks without pay in the coronavirus shutdown. The basketball league announced Wednesday that it was indefinitely suspending its season in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, upending daily life for thousands of concession employees, ushers and custodians who rely on games for a paycheck.

Athletics: Boston Marathon moved to September from April due to coronavirus

The Boston Marathon, originally scheduled to be held on April 20, has been postponed until mid-September because of the coronavirus outbreak, the city's mayor said on Friday. The world's most prestigious marathon, which is now due to take place on Sept. 14, generally draws more than 30,000 runners from all over the world ranging from decorated professionals and Olympians to amateur runners.

MLB ends spring training; players may go home

Major League Baseball declared an early end to spring training on Friday, allowing players to return home if they wish. A day earlier, MLB had halted all Grapefruit League and Cactus League action while announcing that the regular season would be delayed at least two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mixed martial arts: UFC schedule continuing despite coronavirus

Mixed martial arts is one sport bucking the trend of cancellations, saying it plans to stick to its schedule albeit without fans. As virtually the entire American sports industry, and much of the world's, shuts down due to coronavirus concerns, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will carry on regardless.

Greece cancels Olympic torch relay over coronavirus fears

Greece's Olympic Committee said it had canceled the remainder of the Olympic Torch relay through the country on Friday to avoid attracting crowds that could raise the risk of coronavirus contagion. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch relay got under way on Thursday when the flame was lit by the rays of the sun in ancient Olympia in a ceremony that was scaled down in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies.)