Durban swimming gala postponed amid coronavirus fears

The African championships scheduled for Durban next month have been postponed because of coronavirus fears‚ Swimming SA said in a statement on Saturday.

The gala was to be staged at the King's Park pool in Durban from April 17-22.

“Our main priority as the African Swimming Confederation is the safety of our athletes and with that in mind‚ the decision was made to postpone the event‚” the body's president‚ Sam Ramsamy‚ said in the statement issued by Swimming SA.

New dates would “be announced in due course”.

SSA has yet to make a decision on the national championships‚ which double as Olympic trials‚ and which will be held at the same venue from April 4-9.

It's a compulsory event for all SA swimmers wanting to win selection to the Tokyo Games‚ with competitors like Chad Le Clos flying in from Turkey and many others‚ including world 50m backstroke champion Zane Waddell‚ coming from the US.