The 12 teams of Nippon Professional Baseball have agreed to cancel this year's All-Star games and to aim to kick off the season at some point from mid-June through the end of that month.
The agreement was reached Monday, during a teleconference of representatives from the clubs.
"We want to start the season sometime next month, while duly considering the health of players and referees," NPB Commissioner Atsushi Saito said during a press conference. Even after the season starts, games will be held without spectators for a while.
The All-Star games were originally scheduled for July 19 at Fukuoka PayPay Dome in Fukuoka and July 20 at Nagoya Dome in Nagoya.
This is the first time the All-Star games have been canceled since their inauguration in 1951. The participants agreed it would be impossible to prepare for the games, including selecting players, since the spread of the new coronavirus has significantly delayed the start of the regular season from the original schedule of March 20.
Prior to the meeting of NPB representatives, a liaison meeting was held between the NPB and J.League on countermeasures against the new coronavirus. A team of experts said it would be difficult to decide the exact date to kick off the regular season, as the state of emergency in the nation has been extended.
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