The IBJJF has had to cancel another event following an increased number of cases in the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The New York Spring International Open, scheduled to take place on April 18 and 19, is the latest major jiu-jitsu event to be canceled due to the virus. In a statement on their website, the IBJJF said,
“The City College of New York has made the decision to cancel, postpone, or limit all events with expected attendance of at least 50 people until at least May 15th due to concerns of the current COVID-19 outbreak. Unfortunately, we are forced to cancel the event, and will be refunding athletes who have already paid for registration. Athletes who were registered for the tournament will be automatically refunded, and should be receiving email confirmation of the refund within the next couple of business days. Please contact ibjjf@ibjjf.com if you have any further questions.”
The announcement comes in the wake of the 2020 Pan-American Championship being canceled following similar measures taken by the University of California, Irvine, to limit the number of large gatherings on campus. Athletes who had registered for the competition will also be refunded their registration fees.
Multiple jiu-jitsu organizations have already taken measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The UAEJJF has postponed all upcoming events, including the World Pro, and 3rd Coast Grappling heavily modified their lineup for this weekend’s 3CG IV after Houston began to see an increased number of cases.
