The IBJJF is taking additional measures to try to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and now, potential applicants for the European World Masters tournament on May 2 and 3 may be affected.
The organization has announced on the tournament page that they are temporarily closing registration for the event as a “precautionary measure” due to the increased number of cases of the coronavirus around the world and particularly in Europe.
The full statement reads as follows:
“In face of the precautionary measures taken by the local governments due to the concerns of the Coronavirus outbreak, we have temporarily closed the registration for the tournament while we wait for further information from the local government. We are monitoring the situation and will keep you informed. If you would prefer to withdraw and receive a refund, please email ibjjf@ibjjf.com by the Athlete Correction Deadline (April 25th, 2020).”
The IBJJF Pan-American Championship has also been affected by the outbreak; a few days ago, the organization announced that while the event would not be canceled, participants would be offered a refund if they chose to withdraw by March 10. Now, the deadline for withdrawal has been extended to March 13, and the organization has stated that they will post an update tomorrow by noon PDT.
The Pans update comes after an announcement from the University of California, Irvine, that says that “All events and gatherings with more than 100 participants are to be canceled” following news that “a member of the UCI community” is under investigation for potentially testing positive for the virus. With Pans taking place in the Bren Events Center, which is located on campus, the jiu-jitsu community is awaiting cancelation or alterations to the tournament.
The tournaments are not the first in the jiu-jitsu industry to be impacted by the coronavirus. The UAEJJF postponed all of their upcoming events, including the World Pro, and 3rd Coast Grappling significantly modified this weekend’s 3CG IV event to only include local competitors over concerns about the virus’ impact.
