KOTA KINABALU, Feb 5 — The Youth and Sports Ministry will not bar any athlete from training or competing in China despite the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in that country.

Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman said the ministry had issued guidelines for national athletes on this matter.

“Several athletes have returned (from China) of their own accord and we have advised them, but the important thing is to follow the directive of the Health Ministry.

“We will refer to the Health Ministry’s advice (before making further decisions),” he told a media conference after witnessing the 2020 LTdL team presentation at Padang Merdeka here tonight.

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Five national divers — Leong Mun Yee, Pandelela Rinong, Wendy Ng Yan Yee, Kimberly Bong and Enrique Harold — and national coaches Li Rui and Li Teng were reported to have returned home from Chengdu, China on January 31.

However, 2017 world champion Cheong Jun Hoong has chosen to continue training under former national coach Zhang Yuliang in Qinhuangdao, China.

Meanwhile, Syed Saddiq does not rule out the possibility of LTdL 2021 being held in Sabah and Sarawak but said the final decision would be made after discussions between the ministry and race organiser Human Voyage (M) Sdn Bhd.

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Human Voyage has been given the mandate by the ministry to organise the prestigious race from 2019 to 2021.

Prior to this year, the last time LTdL was taken to Borneo was in 1997.

Sabah Youth and Sports Minister Phoong Jin Zhe thanked the ministry for picking Sabah to host one of the stages in the race.

“The selection of Kota Kinabalu will definitely promote the state as a sport tourism destination, and the state government welcomes international sporting events like LTdL,” Phoong said.

Twenty-one teams have confirmed participation in the 25th edition of LTdL, which covers a total distance of 1,114.9 km over eight states — Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu, Pahang, Selangor, Perak, Penang, Kedah — and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. — Bernama