Organisers the Japan Para Sports Association announced the decision following Government guidelines on public events.

Competition at the test event, which was called the 2020 Japan Para Wheelchair Rugby Championships, was due to take place between March 12 and 15 at Yoyogi National Stadium.

Tokyo 2020 said they would still carry out a test event of some description next month.

The cancellation of the wheelchair rugby event follows the boccia test event also not going ahead as planned in February.

This was rearranged as an event with no elite athletes, fans or media, and featured Tokyo 2020 staff pretending to be boccia players.

"Tokyo 2020 nevertheless will carry out the wheelchair rugby test event in some form in April, after ensuring a safe and secure environment, and will consult with the International Paralympic Committee, International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF), and other relevant organisations, to determine the new schedule and the content of such tests by the end of March," a statement said today.

"We will continue to stay in close collaboration with all relevant organisations as we prepare to deliver a safe and secure Tokyo 2020 Games."

Coronavirus has already impacted the final wheelchair rugby qualification tournament for Tokyo 2020, which will begin in Vancouver tomorrow.

Thailand have been forced to pull-out due to travel restrictions, meaning the event will have seven teams instead of eight.

This has necessitated a re-jig of the competition format, with one round-robin group now due to take place instead of two.

"Tokyo 2020 are supportive of taking the necessary steps to try and achieve some level of testing," the IWRF said.

"Current planning would be based on not having any teams travelling internationally. 

"It is possible that elements of the testing can take place without athletes. 

"The IWRF will update qualified nations on what testing will take place, as and when information is available.

"The primary focus will be to test various functional areas ahead of the Paralympic Games. 

"Based on previous experience, the test events have been extremely useful, particularly for the Organising Committee staff and volunteers.

"Of course, we are seeing situations around the globe developing on a 24-hour basis and our thoughts are with those that have been directly affected. 

"The impact on families and work will be very upsetting.

"The IWRF are a sporting federation and as such must take guidance from the appropriate organisations, in particular the clear guidelines of the World Health Organization.

"We have also been working closely with those teams that are travelling and have respected the decisions made by their respective Governments and national health organisations.

"No doubt, we have some challenging times ahead and the IWRF are considering what the possible impacts could be for upcoming events or those areas of business that require travel." 

There have now been more than 91,000 reported cases of coronavirus since it originated in Chinese city Wuhan.

More than 3,000 people have died with 77 countries and territories around the world now affected.

In Japan there have been 274 cases and six deaths, but the vast majority of cases are in China itself.

A huge number of sporting events have been cancelled or postponed.

Craig Spence, the International Paralympic Committee's chief brand and communications officer, moved to cool fears that the virus could impact the Paralympics last month.

The Games are due to take place between August 25 and September 6.