Taiwan's right to host international figure skating event revoked

TAIPEI (CNA) -- Taiwan's right to host an international figure skating event has been revoked, the nation's skating association said Tuesday, less than four months before the tournament was scheduled to be held.

Taiwan was originally set to host the 2019 Asian Open Figure Skating Classic from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 at Taipei Arena.

However, Taiwan's Chinese Taipei Skating Union (CTSU), announced late Tuesday that it received an emergency notification from the International Skating Union (ISU) the previous night that its right to host the event had been revoked.

In the ISU letter, the international governing body for competitive ice skating told CTSU that the current international situation is unsuitable for Taiwan to host such event, CTSU said on its official website.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Skating Union will now to host the event in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China, CTSU said, citing the ISU letter.

Taiwan held similar international ice skating events at Taipei Arena in has in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018.