Sport

China Signals World Cup Ambitions With New Stadiums

China Signals World Cup Ambitions With New Stadiums

China is in the throes of a multibillion-dollar splurge on new football stadiums, ramping up ambitions to be a superpower in the sport and host a World Cup as early as 2030.

The building spree is taking place despite the coronavirus pandemic which has brought much of the world to a standstill, ravaging economies and putting live sport on hold.

But with the outbreak receding in China, where it emerged in December, Chinese Super League (CSL) champions Guangzhou Evergrande last week began construction on their 12 billion yuan ($1.7 billion) new home.

With a capacity of 100,000, the lotus …

How The Coronavirus Has Hit Global Sport

How The Coronavirus Has Hit Global Sport

AFP looks at the effects on sport of the coronavirus, which by 1100 GMT on Monday had killed over 3,800 people while infecting more than 110,000 in over 100 countries.

FOOTBALL

— In Italy, the hardest-hit European country with 366 deaths from COVID-19, Serie A descended into controversy when Italian sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora called for the league season to be put on hold.

Italian Footballers’ Association president Damiano Tommasi tweeted that “stopping football is the most useful thing for our country right now. The teams to cheer are playing in our hospitals, in emergency rooms.”

However, five Serie A …