MANILA, Philippines -- The ASEAN Para Sports Federation has announced that the 2020 ASEAN Para Games, set to be held in the Philippines, will be postponed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event was originally scheduled for March 21 to 27.

Instead, it is tentatively rescheduled to October 3 to 9, "with the conditions that the COVID-19 pandemic is put under control and no longer a threat to humans," the Federation said in a statement.

The Federation's Board of Governors convened on Monday via video conference to make the decision, with National Paralympic Committee president Michael Barredo of the Philippines heading the two-hour discussion.

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The board will convene again at the end of July 2020 to assess the COVID-19 situation before confirming and proceeding with the proposed new dates.

"The (Federation) is adhering strictly to the guidelines and preventive measures stipulated by the World Health Organization and health authorities to help contain the pandemic in the respective ASEAN nations," the organization said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected sports events both in the Philippines and worldwide. Local leagues, from the PBA to the UAAP, have been suspended, while the NBA and various football leagues have also put their seasons on hold.

(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website).