Japan’s Abe says cannot hold Olympics unless pandemic contained
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that the Tokyo Olympics could not take place next year unless the coronavirus pandemic is contained, as the city’s governor called for an extension of the nationwide state of emergency.
Canoeing: Housebound paddlers frustrated by lockdown, fear no more events in 2020
British paracanoe athlete Charlotte Henshaw has said that the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a “lack of motivation” as her four-year preparation plan was extended by 12 more months.
Pandemic means IOC must review budget and priorities, says Bach
The International Olympic Committee is reviewing its budget and priorities due to the pandemic and postponed Tokyo 2020 Games, president Thomas Bach said on Wednesday, with adjustments necessary to meet changed priorities.
Tennis: Lopez warns early return of Tours could be unfair
Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez says he is “not very positive” about the chances of the ATP and WTA Tours returning to normal within three months and believes it would be unfair to resume if some parts of the world remained in isolation.
Italian sports minister plays down chance of Serie A resuming
Italy’s Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora said on Wednesday the country’s top-flight Serie A soccer championship looks unlikely to resume this season because of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Tennis: Merger can help sport emerge stronger from COVID-19, say top players
Tennis can emerge stronger from its lengthy shutdown due to the novel coronavirus if the idea of merging the men’s and women’s tours becomes a reality, multiple Grand Slam winners Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova have told Reuters.
Motorcycling: German, Dutch and Finnish MotoGP races canceled
MotoGP’s German, Dutch and Finnish rounds in June and July have all been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sport’s governing body and promoter announced on Wednesday.
Sports must first resume safely at lower levels, WHO expert says
It will be easier to bring back community level sport such as Parkruns as the coronavirus lockdowns are eased than bigger events due to the risk of travel from larger gatherings, a member of a World Health Organization expert group said.
Soccer: Sweden boss Andersson rediscovers his roots amid coronavirus hiatus
Sweden manager Janne Andersson has got back in touch with his roots amid the country’s lack of a strict coronavirus lockdown by visiting a training session in the Stockholm suburb of Husby where the national team’s Robin Quaison honed his skills.
Soccer: French League facing tough choices after season abandoned
The French football league is facing a number of issues such as who gets to be named champions, who gets promoted and relegated after the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons were ended amid the COVID-19 crisis with 10 games left.
