B. League scraps All-Star festivities amid COVID-19 surge in Japan

The Japan Professional Basketball League (B. League) has decided to cancel its All-Star weekend which was originally set to take place from January 14 and 15 at the Okinawa Arena.

In a statement posted on the league's website, B. League chairman Shinji Shimada said they have decided to pull the plug on the festivities due to the spike in COVID-19 cases in Japan.

Shimada added that a number of players have tested positive for the virus.

"We received a positive test for coronavirus infection, and it is expected that there will be a large number of close contacts associated with it," Shimada said. "But there is a high possibility that many will be missed during the period until the event, so we decided to cancel."

The festivity was supposed to see Filipino reinforcements suit up for the Asian All-Star against the B. League Rising Stars.

Composing the Asian team would have been Division 1 players Kiefer Ravena (Shiga Lakestars), Thirdy Ravena (San-En Neophoenix), Kobe Paras (Niigata Albirex BB), Ray Parks, Jr. (Nagoya Diamond Dolphins), Dwight Ramos (Toyama Grouses), and Javi Gomez de Liaño (Ibaraki Robots) alongside Division 2 players Juan Gomez de Liaño (Earthfriends Tokyo Z) and Kemark Cariño (Aomori Wat's).

They will be joined by Weijia Wang (Akita Northern Happinets), Brandon Jawato (Utsonomiya Brex), Jaemin Yang (Shinshu Brave Warriors), and Liu Jin (Nishinomiya Storks), Chih Wei Lin (Rising Zephyr Fukuoka).

Matthew Aquino, who is playing as a local for the Shinshu Brave Warriors, was supposed to play for the Rising Stars.

"And I think that many fans are disappointed that it has been canceled for the second consecutive year. I am very sorry," said Shimada.

"Even for me, I am very confident that seeing the biggest and best All-Stars in the past will make everyone smile even a little in a world where there is a feeling of closure due to the new coronavirus infection."

Japan has recorded 1,149 new COVID-19 cases on January 4 as the country now has more than 1.74 million total cases. — LA, GMA News