In a statement to Lusa, the member of the FAB management committee, António 'Tony' Sofrimento, confirmed the notification from FIBA Africa (confederation of national basketball associations on the African continent) concerning the postponement of the tournament, stating that the situation is arising "mainly from the fact that Senegal has registered the first case of the new coronavirus".
The first phase of BAL was scheduled for Senegal from 13 to 15 March, the second in Luanda from 10 to 12 April and the last in Morocco from 8 to 10 May.
According to 'Tony' Sofrimento, the logistical burden of preparation does not fall on Petro of Luanda, winner of two editions of the race, admitting, however, "collateral" implications for FIBA Africa and other competitions where Angola should participate.
"But in the first instance, health is at stake and if it is being put at risk all measures have to be accepted and we have to adapt to them", he stressed.
The competition, now postponed, involves the teams of Petro from Luanda, AS Police (Mali), AS Douanes (Senegal), AS Salé (Morocco), GS Petroliers (Algeria), GMN Basket from Madagascar, River Hoopers (Nigeria), FAP (Cameroon), Patriots (Rwanda), Zamalek (Egypt), US Monastir (Tunisia) and Railway from Maputo (Mozambique).
Angola is developing contingency plans and control measures at the main points of entry into the country and has decreed, as of 3 March, a ban on the entry of foreign nationals from China, the epicentre of Covid-19, South Korea, Iran, Italy, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria, countries with indigenous or registered cases of coronavirus.
Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal have since joined the list of African countries with registered cases of the disease, but the Ministry of Health has so far made no updates to the list of countries covered by quarantine or entry ban measures.
The Covid-19 outbreak, which can cause respiratory infections such as pneumonia, has caused almost 3,200 deaths and infected over 92,000 people in some 70 countries and territories, including four in Portugal.
Of those infected, more than half have recovered.
In addition to 2,981 deaths in mainland China, there are reported fatalities in Iran, Italy, South Korea, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Thailand, the United States of America and the Philippines.
The WHO has declared the Covid-19 outbreak to be a "very high risk" international public health emergency.
