Melbourne, Apr 1 (IANS): Football Federation Australia (FFA) on Wednesday announced that in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the temporary suspension to sanctioned grassroots football competitions and associated training would remain in place until May 31.

FFA Chief Executive Officer James Johnson said: "Since our initial announcement, there have been numerous declarations made by, and introduced, across all levels of government."

"The measures have continuously tightened restrictions around community gatherings, and the measures announced by the Prime Minister recently increased these restrictions further. While we were not due to make a formal assessment until April 14, we felt it best to consider our position now in light of this most recent announcement.

"We have determined, with the full backing of all member federations, that the temporary suspension to sanctioned grassroots football competitions and associated training will remain in place until at least May 31," he added.

In order to help the grassroots football community stay active and connected throughout the temporary suspension period, FFA recently launched an online Skills Hub, developed in association with each of Australia's nine member federations.

Last week, FFA had announced that it has decided to lay off 70 per cent of its staff due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.