J-League extends shutdown after disaster

OSAKA, Japan, Mar 22 (AFP): Japan's J-League said Tuesday it would extend its football shutdown until April 23 in the face of electric power shortages following the March 11 quake-tsunami disaster. It had already cancelled all league and cup matches in the first and second divisions scheduled for the rest of March after the disaster knocked out a nuclear power plant and other power stations in eastern Japan. The J-League season opened on March 5 and only one round has been played since.