Mighty Sports reels as Jones Cup called off

MANILA, Philippines — The Chinese Taipei Basketball Association has cancelled the 2020 Jones Cup amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a report by Taiwan News, Taipei health officials from the Central Epidemi Command Center said that prioritizing health was the most important.

Mighty Sports Philippines was set to defend its crown in this year's edition of the Cup while also gunning for their seventh overall title.

This is the third time that the Jones Cup has been cancelled since its inception in 1977.

In 2003, the SARS outbreak forced the organizers to cancel the event. The other time was in 1989 was when the Chunghwa Sports Stadium was razed by fire.

The Jones Cup was supposed to be slated for August this year.