Kolkata: In the wake of the novel Coronavirus outbreak, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday postponed all sporting events scheduled to be held in the state till March 30.
Meanwhile, all the remaining 28 matches of the I-League, including Sunday's marquee Kolkata derby between champions Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, will be played in empty stadiums owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the All India Football Federation said on Friday.
Holding a meeting with officials of all sports bodies of the state, Banerjee took stock of the situation and urged them to postpone all events till March 30 as a precautionary measure.
"We will keep a watch on the situation for the next 15 days. We have decided not to hold any sports events in the district or state level. We will review the situation again on March 30," Banerjee said after the meeting.
Representatives of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), major clubs like the East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and the Mohammedan Sporting and sports associations like the AIFF and Indian Football Association were present.
Youth Services and Sports minister Aroop Biswas and senior state government officers, including Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha and Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay were also present.