AFC Postpones All Scheduled Matches In May, June; Lauds Indian Players For Contribution In COVID-19 Fight

With the world coming to a standstill due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has decided to postpone all matches and competitions scheduled to take place in May and June keeping in mind the safety of all stakeholders that include not just the players, but also the fans.

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"Following the continued preventive measures and travel restrictions put in place by several governments, the Asian Football Confederation has decided today to postpone all matches and competitions scheduled to take place in May and June until further notice," an AFC statement said.

"As one of the first confederations in world football to undertake precautionary measures in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the latest decision reinforces the AFC's commitment to ensure the safety and wellbeing of players, participating teams, officials, fans and all stakeholders."

Earlier, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Indian football players were among those lauded by the AFC for their contributions towards the fight against coronavirus.

"The All India Football Federation (AIFF), the Guam Football Association (GFA), the J.League and the Wuhan Football Association have helped by giving donations, promoting public awareness messages and opening training centres to house medical teams," AFC stated in a press release.

"...players from India - Pritam Kotal, Pronoy Halder, Prabir Das and Arindam Bhattacharjee - have contributed a combined total of Rs 145,000 to various charities and donated food, and organised feeding-the-poor programmes in the country," the AFC said.