Zhou Qi (right) of the Xinjiang Flying Tigers shields the ball against Yi Jianlian of the Guangdong South China Tigers during a CBA best-of-seven finals starter in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in 2017. Photo: CFP

Both Chinese football and basketball leagues are preparing for restart while players and coaches would have to see salary cuts, chiefs of China's football and basketball governing bodies both said amid the easing tension of the novel coronavirus epidemic. The decision may lead to the resumption of domestic sporting events.

Speaking to state broadcaster CCTV on Friday night, Chinese Basketball Association President Yao Ming said the basketball governing body is working on three different programs for the resumption of the season.

The country's top-tier basketball league CBA has been postponed its regular season since the end of January, with 16 rounds of games yet to be played. The governing body will notice the clubs 21 days before a restart takes place, Yao said, e noting that the league will resume playing a championship through behind closed doors under extreme conditions. 

There are foreign players and coaches unable to make a trip back to China due to the new entry restrictions on foreigners that were imposed from March 28.

Ye Lan, a Shanghai-based sports commentator, said the priority of the games resumption should always be safety.

"Safety should always be the top priority for the resumption of sports activities," Ye told the Global Times on Saturday. "The epidemic has made a huge impact on sports industry. We cannot risk for a new outbreak."

The coronavirus epidemic has also dealt a financial blow to sports clubs in China, as both CBA franchises and Chinese Super League (CSL) football clubs are anticipated to cut players' salaries. 

In football, players of CSL side Tianjin Tianhai has filed an appeal to the Chinese Football Association (CFA) on Saturday as the governing body is yet to approve Tianhai's access to the 2020 season due to a massive financial crisis inherited from its previous owner Quanjian Group.  

The 2020 season of CSL, which was originally scheduled to start in February, will witnessed a packed calendar for the teams this year, as the CFA has vowed the season will not run into a new year.