RIO DE JANEIRO, June 10 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian leg of this year's World Surf League tour has been cancelled because of surging coronavirus cases in the South American country, the WSL said on Thursday.
The Rio Pro in Saquarema had been shifted from June to August but organizers decided they could not guarantee the safe running of the event.
"The WSL has continued to monitor the situation and made the decision to cancel the event for 2021 out of an abundance of caution for the safety of athletes, staff and the local community," read a statement on the entity's official website.
"The WSL looks forward to returning to Saquarema with the world's best surfers in 2022."
Brazil has had more than 17 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, over 482,000 of which have been fatal, according to official figures.
Meanwhile, the WSL postponed the Mexican leg of the tour in Barra de la Cruz to August 10-20 from its original July dates.
The next event will be held in Lemoore, California, from June 18 to 20. Enditem
