More soccer games canceled; Grand Prix postponed in Japan

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Japan’s top two soccer leagues have extended the cancellation of games in the country into the first week of April, with the chance of many more unplayed games looming after the recent earthquake, tsunami and radiation leaks.

Clubs from both leagues met Tuesday and decided not to play games scheduled through April 3. Soccer authorities already had canceled games in Japan through the end of March.

“There’s no telling when we can restart the league again,” Kashima Antlers President Shigeru Ibata told the Kyodo News agency after Tuesday’s meeting. “The situation is getting worse by the day.”

Also, the Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle race scheduled for April 24 has been rescheduled to Oct. 2. It will still take place at the Motegi circuit, 75 miles north of Tokyo.

The same race was postponed until October last year due to air travel disruption from the eruption of a volcano in Iceland.

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Japan cancels all soccer games for March

-- Chuck Schilken

The Associated Press contributed to this report.