Volleyball's global governing body FIVB announced that the Volleyball Nations League which was slated to begin on May 19 for the women's competition and May 22 for the men's event, have been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

"Given the evolving nature of the pandemic, the complexity of staging the global event across multiple host countries, and the commitment to safeguarding participants' health, the VNL Council, the FIVB Board of Administration and the event organizers, jointly agreed to cancel this year's edition of the VNL," read an FIVB statement.

"The FIVB is continuing to work closely with all parties to coordinate the schedule for the VNL 2021 while retaining both Italy and China as host nations for the Finals," it added.

The FIVB explained that the annual tournament has had to be canceled this year due to the pandemic and its impact on host cities being able to deliver safe, accessible and high-quality competitions. President Ary S. Graca warned it would be irresponsible to stage the competition without being able to provide participants and spectators with a safe and accessible tournament.

The 2020 FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup was also canceled and last year's qualified teams will retain their places for 2021.

Last year's edition of the VNL featured 16 of the world's best teams. Russia took first place in the men's finals in Chicago, United States and the U.S.A. took top spot in the women's division in Nanjing, China.

(With input from Xinhua News Agency)