Virus Outbreak: National athletes can only travel for Olympic qualifiersBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterAthletes on national teams would be allowed to compete in international events in other countries amid the COVID-19 outbreak only if the events are qualifiers for the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Sports Administration Director General Kao Chin-hsung (高俊雄) said yesterday. Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei TimesThe national gymnastics team is to compete in qualifiers in Japan and Singapore, which have level 2 advisories. “We would first consider sending athletes who have not yet qualified to compete in the Olympic Games to go to qualifiers,” Kao said. “If the games are not Olympic qualifiers, then none of our national team athletes should go.”Thirty-one national athletes in nine sports categories have so far qualified to compete in the Games, the Sports Administration said. The Asian qualifier is the final opportunity for Taiwan’s national baseball team to gain a berth in the Olympics.

Source: Taipei Times March 11, 2020 15:56 UTC