SINGAPORE - Two major local sports events became casualties of the coronavirus outbreak on Monday (March 16).
In the morning, the Income Eco Run, which was scheduled to take place on April 26, became the latest mass running event to be cancelled due to Covid-19.
In the evening, DBS put up a post on its Facebook page to announce that the annual DBS Marina Regatta, slated for May 29-31, had been cancelled.
A spokesman for the run, which had close to 9,000 participants last year, said: "The situation continues to evolve and remain uncertain, and considering the health risks in this current climate, cancelling the run would be in the best interest of those involved as well as the wider community."
"The organisers regret any inconvenience or disappointment that the cancellation may cause."
All registered run participants will receive a full refund of entry fees paid.
The DBS Marina Regatta, which has evolved into a family-friendly affair that includes gastronomic treats, said that its decision "follows the World Health Organisation's classification of the Covid-19 outbreak as a pandemic, and the Ministry of Health's advisory for all large scale events to be deferred till further notice".
Last year marked the eighth edition of the annual regatta since its inception in 2012. Over 100 teams from eight countries, including 70,000 event-goers, participated in the three-day event.
Shee Tse Koon, the bank's Singapore country head, said "it was not an easy call for us to make" but "safeguarding the health and well-being of our dragon boat teams, partners, employees and the public is of foremost importance".
Members of the dragon boating community were asked to email the Singapore Dragon Boat Association at race@sdba.org.sg should they have further queries.
Nathaniel Goh, 32, an executive who signed up for the 10km event at the Income Eco Run, said: "The cancellation of the Income Eco Run was expected after the Government's recent announcement. I feel that the cancellation is reasonable and justified because events like the Income Eco Run will involve many participants, volunteers and organisers.
"If the event went on as planned, I feel that there may be an increased risk of transmission as close contact at such events are unavoidable. Cancellation of this event is in the best interest of everyone's health and well-being. I can always race again when things are better."
Maria Luciana Parma, captain of the Latin Dragons' dragon boat team, added: "We have been training hard in preparation for this and other events, so a sentiment of sadness is inevitable, but we completely understand that this is a time to put the wellness of the community over our own individual interests."
"We are grateful that DBS and SDBA are taking the precautionary measures needed to provide for the safety of the community and its members, following all Singapore Government regulations during this moment of crisis."
The May 23 Osim Sundown Marathon was the first major local running event to be cancelled amid the coronavirus situation. The organisers made the announcement last Thursday after the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a pandemic.
Several other runs such as the 2XU Compression Run (April 5) and JP Morgan Corporate Challenge (April 8) have also been postponed to May 31 and Nov 26 respectively.
Other marquee sports events here have also been hit by the coronavirus situation, with the Feb 27-March 1 HSBC Women's World Championship golf tournament and football's International Champions Cup scheduled for July cancelled. The April 11-12 HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens has been postponed to October.
The Covid-19 outbreak has infected over 168,000 people and killed 6,506 worldwide.
Singapore confirmed 17 new Covid-19 cases, including 11 that are imported, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday, bringing the total number of infected patients here to 243. It is the highest number of new cases the Republic has reported in a single day.
