Short track world championships not before October - ISU

(Reuters) - The short track speed skating world championships in South Korea, postponed this month due to the coronavirus outbreak, will not be held before October, the International Skating Union (ISU) said on Monday.

The sport's governing body said last week the March 13-15 event in Seoul could not be staged on the planned dates with the "uncertain worldwide development" of the virus.

It added that extending the current season beyond April to accommodate the event could not be considered.

"During the coming weeks, ISU will evaluate in cooperation with all stakeholders whether the championships could possibly be held later in the year, but in any case not before mid-October," the ISU said in a statement.

The ISU said all other events for the 2019-20 season remain on schedule and that it would monitor the situation and follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the local authorities.

South Korea has reported 123 new cases of the flu-like virus that originated in China late last year, taking the country's total infections to 4,335, the Yonhap news agency said on Monday, citing health authorities.

The country's men's professional basketball league said its regular season, which had been stopped since the weekend, would resume from March 29, Yonhap reported.

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)