World boxing body cancels European forum in Italy

The forum was scheduled to be held on Saturday in Assisi, where the Indian boxing team is currently participating in a preparatory camp for next month’s Olympic Qualifiers in Jordan. “Scheduled for February 29 in Assisi, Italy, the AIBA European Forum 2020 is cancelled due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). This decision was taken by AIBA leadership in the best interests of the delegates,” AIBA Interim President Mohamed Moustahsane said in a statement.

“The Coronavirus outbreak in Italy has worsened and the nation has by far the highest number of cases in Europe. Moreover, Italy has imposed strict quarantine restrictions in some regions which could last for weeks,” he added. The Indian boxers are scheduled to fly out of Italy on Friday.

Moustahsane said AIBA will organise the Forum later in the year “when the situation in Europe becomes better.” Assisi is a hill town in the central Italian region of Umbria. The Coronavirus outbreak in Italy has so far affected the northern Lombardy region, leaving 12 dead and 400 infected.

Eleven Italian towns -- 10 in Lombardy and one in the north-eastern region of Veneto -- have been placed under a lockdown, according to various media reports.