PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) — Special Olympics South Dakota has canceled this weekend’s state basketball tournament in Pierre as a precaution because of the coronavirus.
CEO Daryl Nordquist says Special Olympics International strongly advised all state chapters to cancel all pending events through March 31st.
Nordquist says there was a case in Omaha at the basketball state tournament where an athlete tested positive for COVID-19 and they’re playing it safe here.
Scheduling conflicts don’t allow them to reschedule the tournament.
“We have 26 competitions throughout the year throughout the state and so for us to find a spot to reschedule is near impossible. It’s very rare to cancel an event. Usually, it’s weather-related,” says Nordquist.
He says over 1500 athletes and volunteers are affected.
The decision to cancel this weekend’s Special Olympics South Dakota State Basketball Tournament came before the announcement the coronavirus had been found in South Dakota.
(Jody Heemstra, Dakota Radio News Group, contributed to this story.)
