The cancellation of games in Japan's J-League has been extended into early April as the nation deals with the combined effects of an earthquake, tsunami and radiation leaks from nuclear plants.
The J-League had already decided J-League 1 and 2 would be canceled for the rest of March, and clubs from the top tiers met Tuesday in Tokyo and decided that scheduled fixtures for April 2 and 3 would also be put off, according to a report from Japan's Kyodo news agency.
''There's no telling when we can restart the league again,'' Kashima Antlers president Shigeru Ibata was quoted to say after Tuesday's meeting.
''The situation is getting worse by the day. Most of the people of the committee agree that the first week of April is already out of the question.''
Top tier clubs Vegalta Sendai and Montedio Yamagata, plus Mito Hollyhock of J-League 2 all suffered serious damage as result of Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and resultant tsunami along Japan's northeast coast. Representatives of those clubs were not able to attend Tuesday's meeting.
Clubs are not only dealing with the immediate damage caused by the disaster but were also seeking to preserve electricity at a time of national shortage.
''Whether we play at night and use the floodlights or not, an enormous amount of electricity is used to host one match,'' Ibata said. ''In these circumstances when we're short on electricity, it wouldn't be right to be playing.''
Japanese clubs' home games in the Asian Champions League have also been postponed due to the disaster. Nagoya Grampus had been due to host Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday and Kashima Antlers were to host Australia's Sydney on Wednesday, but those games had been postponed.
Gamba Osaka and Cerezo Osaka were still expected to play their away games in the Champions League this week.
The J-League cancellations meant it was likely there would be cup and league matches in July when the national team is due to be playing abroad and domestic fixtures were usually not played.
J-League chairman Kazumi Ohigashi said Monday that he'd spoken with Vegalta Sendai club president Yoichi Shirohata and was told the club's stadium and facilities were in ruins. The club's foreign players have headed home, and Japanese players from other regions are also leaving.
''Needless to say, the players aren't training. The foreign players have gone home ...,'' Ohigashi said. ''They're struggling to live over there. It's not about training or the game.''
The national team could also be withdrawn from international competition in the near future, Kyodo reported, citing the Japan Football Association as saying only that it was ''keeping all options open.''
JFA general secretary Kozo Tashima said a Japan team would be playing as planned as an invitee in the Copa America in South America in July.
National team head coach Alberto Zaccheroni returned to Italy from Tokyo the day after the earthquake, casting doubt on the scheduled friendlies against Montenegro and New Zealand later this month. Squads for those matches were due to be announced this week.
