Sports in Mexico and Texas affected by flu

ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas officials postponed all public high school athletic and academic competitions on Wednesday until May 11 because of the swine flu outbreak.

The move suspends the baseball and softball seasons and eliminates the regional track championships that were to start Friday, said Charles Breithaupt, executive director of the University Interscholastic League. He said league officials acted on the recommendation of public health officials.

“The health and safety of our student activity participants is of the utmost importance,” Breithaupt said. “Taking every possible precaution to prevent the further spreading of this disease is an important contribution to the welfare of our great state, and altering the schedule of our events is a way to keep our participants safe.”

Also, the Nationwide Golf Tour has postponed its event in Mexico, scheduled for May 21-24, and fans have been banned from attending soccer matches in that country.

Texas school officials say 53,000 students are out of school due to concern over the virus, and dozens of schools were closed to be sanitized.

The state golf and tennis championships are scheduled to begin May 11.

The state track meet, one of the largest high school track and field competitions in the country, has been extended from its normal two days to three and is scheduled for May 12-14.

All UIL academic competitions, including a state meet that was to begin May 7, were also postponed and will be rescheduled later.

The Nationwide Tour has postponed the Mexico Open golf tournament scheduled for May 21-24 because of the swine flu outbreak.

Nationwide Tour president Bill Calfee says it will be rescheduled for later in the year.

The Mexico Open was to be played at El Bosque Golf Club in Leon, located about 200 miles northwest of Mexico City.

Also, the Canadian Tour has postponed a golf tournament in Mexico because of the flu outbreak.

The San Luis Potosi Open, which was scheduled to begin Thursday, has been put off indefinitely.

On Tuesday, the Canadian Tour postponed the final two events of its Mexican swing because of health concerns. Both the Yucatan Country Club Classic and the Iberostar Riviera Maya Open are being rescheduled and will take place on consecutive weeks later on the 2009 schedule.

All 176 professional soccer matches in Mexico will be played behind closed doors, with fans hunkered down at home trying to avoid the deadly outbreak that is suspected in the deaths of at least 160 people in Mexico.

No backslapping camaraderie, no haranguing referees, no screaming for your favorite club.

“It’s pretty strange not to go to the stadium with my family because this is part of our culture to go and support your team,” said Sergio Galindo, a lawyer in the northeastern city of Monterrey and a Rayados season ticket-holder.

Rayados plays at home Saturday against Mexico City club America in the top league.

“Because of the flu scare, we’ll watch at home with a barbecue or something — but really, it’s not the same,” Galindo said.

To help fans deal with the attendance ban, at least six top-division matches — normally seen only on pay-for-view TV — will be available on free channels for those afraid to leave home.

A fan of first-division club Tigres, Allan Garcia said his struggling team will miss the fan support in its match at Toluca. Tigres are in a tough spot, facing the possibility of being demoted out of the first division.