- Associated Press - Tuesday, March 17, 2020

The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on sports around the world (all times local):

___

11:55 p.m.

An unidentified NHL player has tested positive for the new coronavirus.

The Ottawa Senators announced late Tuesday night one of their players has tested positive for COVID-19, has mild symptoms and is in isolation.

Ottawa is notifying those who came in contact with the player and have told other members of the team to monitor their health and seek advice from the medical staff.

___

7:30 p.m.

Baylor coach Scott Drew says his focus since the NCAA Tournament was canceled has been on taking care of his players, not about what might have been for the Bears on the court.

“Making sure they’re able to finish out the semester, make sure that their needs are taken care of, where they know they can go to get food for those that are still on campus,” Drew said Tuesday during a virtual news conference, with the coach on video sitting at the postgame podium in Baylor’s arena and reporters asking questions on a conference call.

About half of the team is still in the Waco area, and the rest went home.

The school did a “One Shining Moment” video for the Bears (26-4), who likely would have been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Their 23-game winning streak was a Big 12 record and they were No. 1 five consecutive weeks.

“Watching it for the first time, I know my wife got emotional. I was more just feeling proud,” Drew said. “We had a great season, these guys really accomplished a lot of stuff, and it was really enjoyable.”

___

7 p.m.

The U.S. Tennis Association says it is considering “the possibility” of postponing the U.S. Open because of the coronavirus pandemic.

What is usually the last Grand Slam tennis tournament each year is currently scheduled for Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 in New York.

Earlier Tuesday, the French tennis federation switched the dates of the French Open to Sept. 20 to Oct. 4 because of the pandemic. That’s four months later than that event was originally supposed to be played in Paris.

The head of the French federation acknowledged that other Grand Slam tournaments and the professional tours were informed of the choice to switch dates for Roland Garros but were not consulted.

In a not-so-veiled jab at the French federation, the USTA issued a statement saying that if there is a change in timing, “we recognize that such a decision should not be made unilaterally.”

The USTA added that it would move its major championship “in full consultation” with the other Grand Slam organizers, the WTA and ATP tours, the International Tennis Federation and the Laver Cup exhibition.

___

4:30 p.m.

Vail Resorts has announced it will close all of its North American resorts for the season over concerns for the coronavirus.

Over the weekend, the industry giant said it would shut down the resorts for at least one week before reassessing. The company will consider reopening Breckenridge in Colorado, Heavenly in Lake Tahoe, California, and Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia in late April or early May depending on the COVID-19 situation and weather conditions.

___

6 p.m.

Argentina’s government has suspended all domestic soccer matches until the end of March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Argentina’s soccer federation and the country’s President Alberto Fernández were initially against halting games but changed their minds Tuesday after players said they were unhappy about continuing to play.

“The decision was taken after we received the concerns of the footballer’s union,” along with new government measures to fight the spread of COVID-19, Argentina’s tourism and sports ministry said in a statement.

The decision means all South American soccer is halted, except for a few state tournaments in Brazil.

Fernández had earlier told a news conference that soccer could go on behind closed doors, an opinion that was supported by the country’s federation. But local players threatened to go on strike if soccer was not suspended.

River Plate skipped its match against Atlético Tucumán on Saturday in the first round of the Copa de la Superliga tournament.

5:15 p.m.

___

First the Masters, now the PGA Championship.

The PGA Championship is being postponed, according to a person involved in the discussions. It was scheduled for May 14-17 at Harding Park in San Francisco. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the decision has not been announced.

It follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that events of 50 people or more not be held for eight weeks. That would last until the Sunday before the PGA Championship.

___

4:45 p.m.

The IndyCar industry has donated all the food on hand for last weekend’s canceled season-opening race in St. Petersburg, Florida, through the “Rescue Food” Ministry.

The goal of the ministry is to give leftover untouched foods from at-track hospitality units to local community shelters and missions.

Food was collected from the hospitality suites of Andretti Autosport, Team Penske, Arrow McLaren SP, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Honda, INDYCAR Paddock Club, Chip Ganassi Racing and IMS Productions/NBC.

The Rescue Food Ministry usually donates the food to St. Vincent de Paul in St. Pete, which is not far from the track, but there was so much food the Salvation Army was contacted to help distribute to other organizations, including RCS Pinellas shelter.

___

4:15 p.m.

The USGA has canceled the first two amateur championships on its 2020 schedule.

The U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball was scheduled for April 25-29 at Quail Creek in Naples, Florida. The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball was scheduled for May 23-27 at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Neither will be played this year.

The USGA says it is following CDC guidance on avoiding gatherings of 50 or more people. Both tournaments require qualifying rounds before the championships are played.

The U.S. Women’s Open is June 4-7 in Houston. The U.S. Open is June 18-21 at Winged Foot in New York. Both are still on the schedule. However, the USGA says it will redesign how to qualify for those events.

It has canceled the first stage of U.S. Open qualifying that was to be held at 109 sites starting April 27. And it has canceled the qualifying at 25 sites for the U.S. Women’s Open.

___

9:05 p.m.

Africa’s second biggest international soccer tournament has been postponed.

Organizer the Confederation of African Football say the African Nations Championship scheduled for April 4-25 in Cameroon has been postponed indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic. The tournament features national teams made up of players who play in their domestic leagues.

Africa’s top tournament, the African Cup of Nations, is due to be played early next year, also in Cameroon.

Cameroon was still willing to host the African Nations Championship, CAF said, but the measures taken by other African governments to restrict travel made it difficult to go ahead.

Morocco and Rwanda had already withdrawn for the tournament.

___

3:50 p.m.

The Carolina Hurricanes have announced plans to compensate arena and team event staff for lost wages with the NHL season on hold due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.

The team says hourly staff will be compensated based on expected workload during the final seven regular-season home games.

Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon and the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation, a charitable arm of the franchise, are funding the plans. The team says Hurricanes players have also made a “generous donation” to help event-staff employees affected.

The Hurricanes also say VAB Catering, PNC Arena’s food service, will donate food to the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, a Raleigh-based nonprofit.

___

3:35 p.m.

The Southeastern Conference has canceled sporting events for the rest of the season.

The events had been suspended. The league announced the decision Tuesday, becoming the last of the Power Five conferences to cancel all competition.

The decision includes championship, spring football games and pro day workouts for NFL teams run by SEC schools.

Team and individual practices and meetings remain suspended through at least April 15.

Earlier in the day, the Atlantic Coast Conference canceled all spring competition, plus all athletic-related activities, including practices.

___

12:30 p.m.

Oakland Athletics president Dave Kaval has invited a 39-year-old A’s fan named Justin, who posted on Twitter he is a “very healthy” Type 1 diabetic with the coronavirus, to throw out the first pitch on opening day - whenever that is.

Kaval wrote on Twitter: “Get well soon! The whole (at)Athletics nation is sending you positive thoughts. How is your arm? Would be honored to have you throw out the first pitch opening day!”

___

8:05 p.m.

The president of the Spanish soccer federation has dismissed the idea of crowning Barcelona as league champion if the competition can’t resume because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Luis Rubiales says the federation is not contemplating calling off the rest of the season and awarding the title to Barcelona, which was leading the league when it was suspended. Rubiales says the goal is to finish all competition by June 30, but they may be extended beyond that if necessary.

He says he would prefer altering the calendar next season instead of making changes that could keep this one from finishing fairly.

___

2:40 p.m.

National Letter of Intent signings for college athletes have been suspended until April 15.

The Collegiate Commissioner’s Association, which administers the letter of intent used by NCAA Division I and II athletes, says the suspension will be re-evaluated on or before April 15.

The Division I football signing period began Feb. 5 and was scheduled to end April 1. It will be extended 30 days after it resumes. Most FBS schools have filled their 2020 classes.

The Division I basketball signing period was scheduled to begin April 15 and end May 20.

___

2:30 p.m.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and his wife, Sarah, are donating $100,000 to help provide assistance in Atlanta during the coronavirus outbreak.

The donation will be split between two charitable organizations: Atlanta Community Food Bank, which provides food to the needy, and Giving Kitchen, which offers emergency assistance to food service workers.

Ryan says he and his wife have a lot of friends in the restaurant industry and want to “create awareness for one of the industries that’s going to struggle during this time.”

The Falcons’ starting quarterback for the past 12 years, Ryan has been heavily involved in the community through the Boys and Girls clubs and raising money for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

1:55 p.m.

The NCAA is suspending normal building operations at its main office in Indianapolis, starting Wednesday through at least April 3. The NCAA national office staff will work remotely and continue normal operations. The NCAA says employees will continue to be accessible. The length of the suspension will be evaluated on an ongoing basis.

___

1:50 p.m.

International Ice Hockey Federation chief René Fasel says it’s only a matter of time before the executive council is left with no choice but to cancel the men’s world championships because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fasel spoke to The Associated Press shortly after the IIHF canceled the Division I Group A and B world championships, which were to be held in Europe in late April.

The 16-team world championships are scheduled for Switzerland starting May 8. But Fasel says, if he had to make the decision today, “there is no chance we can skate.”

Fasel says the IIHF is consulting with its host and marketing partners and insurance carrier to determine what contractual obligations must be met before deciding to cancel the tournament.

The challenges to go ahead with hosting the tournament are many, Fasel said, ranging from health directives in place limiting attendance to travel bans making it difficult for nations to send their teams.

Another issue is players lacking practice time, with most of world’s hockey leagues having either indefinitely suspended or canceled their seasons. On Monday, the NHL announced it will wait 45 days before it can provide guidance on when teams can potentially reopen practice.

___

1 p.m.

The European Tour is postponing the Andalucia Masters that was schedule for April 30 to May 3 at Valderrama in southern Spain.

That makes six regular European Tour golf tournaments have been postponed because of the new coronavirus. A total of eight events on the tour’s worldwide schedule have been postponed, including the Match Play and the Masters.

The tournament is hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation. The tour said it would try to reschedule.

Europe’s last event was on March 8 at the Qatar Masters. Next on the schedule would be the GolfSixes in Portugal on May 10-11.

___

12:40 p.m.

The Los Angeles Chargers have donated $250,000 to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to make sure hunger relief services continue uninterrupted in Los Angeles County during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Food Bank says the money will be able to help children and their families as children stay home from school, as well as seniors who are self-isolating and hourly workers who are experiencing interruptions to their schedules and paychecks.

___

4:50 p.m.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino says he is ready to ask China to postpone next year’s 24-team Club World Cup to make space for the European Championship and Copa America.

Infantino says he will propose talks with the Chinese government and the country’s soccer officials in a call Wednesday with a panel of FIFA vice presidents.

That group will include the leaders of European and South American soccer who pushed their marquee championships back one year because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The inaugural 24-team Club World Cup was set to open on June 17, 2021, in China as a signature project of Infantino. The FIFA president suggests rescheduling the club tournament to later in 2021, or in either 2022 or 2023.

FIFA also plans to donate $10 million to the World Health Organization for tackling the new coronavirus.

___

4:35 p.m.

Three major one-day classic bike races in France and Belgium have been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Race organizer Amaury Sport Organisation says Paris-Roubaix, the Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege will be postponed.

The cycling season has been turned upside down by the outbreak. Prestigious events like the Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo and some early Belgian classics have been canceled or postponed. The Giro d’Italia also won’t start at its scheduled May date.

ASO has yet to make a decision on the Tour de France. That race is scheduled to start in Nice on June 27.

___

noon

The Atlantic Coast Conference has canceled all athletics competition and practices through the rest of the 2019-20 academic year amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.

The league announced the move Tuesday. The ACC had previously suspended those activities “until further notice.”

The ACC’s statement said the cancellations came after a unanimous decision among league member schools, with Commissioner John Swofford saying league officials are “particularly disappointed for our student-athletes.”

___

11:50 a.m.

The French Open has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The French Tennis Federation announced Tuesday that the clay-court event will run from Sept. 20 to Oct. 4. It is the first Grand Slam tennis tournament affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Main-draw competition was supposed to start in Paris on May 24.

___

3:20 p.m.

The IOC says there is “no need for any drastic decisions at this stage” about staging the Tokyo Olympics with more than four months until the opening ceremony.

After consulting with sports bodies about the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, the IOC says “any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive.”

The International Olympic Committee says financial interests will not dictate its decisions “thanks to its risk management policies and insurance.”

The IOC says 43% of places at the games have yet to be confirmed.

___

2:25 p.m.

This year’s European Championship has been postponed for one year.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says the spreading coronavirus “makes football and all life in Europe quite impossible.”

UEFA plans to play the tournament next year from June 11 to July 11. The 24-team competition is being hosted in 12 different countries.

The postponement clears space to give national leagues and the Champions League and Europa League a chance to finish their seasons by June 30.

European soccer is in a shutdown and it is unclear when games can resume.

___

2:15 p.m.

The Copa America has been postponed until 2021 because of the coronavirus outbreak.

South American soccer body CONMEBOL says the tournament in Colombia and Argentina will be played between June 11 and July 11.

CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez says “it is an extraordinary measure for an unexpected situation, and it answers the fundamental need to avoid an exponential development of the virus.”

___

10 a.m.

The Kentucky Derby has been postponed from May to September because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Churchill Downs officials said Tuesday the race will move from May 2 to Sept. 5, marking the first time in 75 years it won’t be run on the first Saturday in May.

The last time the first leg of the Triple Crown wasn’t held on the first Saturday in May was in 1945, when the federal government issued a ban on horse racing because of World War II. The ban was lifted on May 8, and the Derby was held on June 9. The only other year the Derby wasn’t held in May was in 1901, when it was raced on April 29.

The date change still must be approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission at its meeting Thursday.

___

1:45 p.m.

UK Athletics says all clubs and groups should not be training or taking part in competitive races amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The guidance follows directives outlined by the British government about limiting social contact.

UKA said the suspension also applies to coaching and officiating.

___

1:40 p.m.

The Kontinental Hockey League and the VTB United League in basketball have suspended play.

Both leagues say they will stop until at least April 10.

The KHL is widely considered to be the strongest hockey league outside the NHL. It had previously said it would pause for a week to draw up a new playoff format. It’s been left with six Russian teams in an eight-team bracket after Finnish team Jokerit and Kazakh team Barys withdrew.

___

1:10 p.m.

The Spanish soccer league has offered about 500 coronavirus tests for its clubs.

The tests have been distributed prioritizing teams that traveled to risk areas or already have players infected.

Valencia defender Ezequiel Garay on Sunday became the first Spanish league player infected with the virus.

The distribution of tests began last Thursday as part of the league’s actions to support its clubs during the pandemic.

___

1:05 p.m.

All horse racing in Britain will be suspended starting Wednesday.

It was the last remaining major sport to be continuing in the country amid the coronavirus outbreak.

But the British Horseracing Authority says the race meetings in Wetherby and Taunton - being staged without fans on Tuesday - will be last until the end of April.

The BHA says the decision was taken “to protect essential emergency services and the health and welfare of staff working in the racing industry.”

BHA chief executive Nick Rust says its “first duty is to the health of the public, our customers and to racing industry participants and staff,” while saying it will do its best to support those whose livelihoods depend on what Rust said is a “4 billion pound industry.”

___

1 p.m.

The men’s and women’s European gymnastics championships have been canceled.

The European Gymnastics Union says it tried to find ways to keep its events going despite the spread of the coronavirus but found it impossible because of government restrictions and travel bans.

The events offered Olympic qualifying spots.

The women’s championships were due to be held in Paris from April 30-May 3, and the men’s championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, from May 27-31.

Also called off are European rhythmic gymnastics championships in Ukraine and the European trampoline championship in Sweden, both in May.

The UEG says it hopes the events can be rescheduled for the second half of the year.

___

12:10 p.m.

Formula One CEO Chase Carey has apologized to fans for the early part of the series being called of by the coronavirus outbreak.

The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne wasn’t canceled last week until teams and drivers forced it. A McLaren team member had tested positive and some drivers had already flown home, but F1 still waited to cancel until just before practices were scheduled to start.

The following three races in Bahrain, Vietnam and China have all been postponed.

In an open letter on the F1 website, Carey wrote: “We apologize to those fans affected by the cancellation in Australia, as well as the postponement of the other races to date. These decisions are being made … in rapidly changing and evolving circumstances, but we believe they are the right and necessary ones. We also want to extend our thoughts to those already affected, including those in the Formula 1 family.”

On Monday, tire provider Pirelli said one of its staff tested positive for the virus and was undergoing treatment in Melbourne.

___

11:45 a.m.

Soccer in Russia has been suspended until April 10.

The Russian league was the best attended sports competition still operating in Europe last weekend with more than 33,000 fans at one of its games.

The Russian Football Union says its board agreed to immediately suspend all competitions at a meeting Tuesday.

That follows a wave of tighter restrictions on public gatherings and events across Russia and a decision by CSKA Moscow to cancel its upcoming game against Zenit St. Petersburg.

Fans made ironic references to the virus outbreak at games last week. Fans of Zenit chanted “we’re all going to die” on Saturday and CSKA supporters displayed a banner on Sunday with the club crest and the message: “This virus is inside me. I’m its carrier.”

___

10:35 a.m.

Hertha Berlin’s players and coaching staff are going into quarantine for 14 days after one of the players tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Bundesliga club doesn’t say which player was affected.

The team had been due to return to training on Tuesday after three days of individual exercise.

Hertha doctor Uli Schleicher says “the player complained about the usual symptoms and we immediately separated him from the group. A test then produced a positive result for the virus. All players in our squad must now stay at home for the next two weeks.”

Hertha general manager Michael Preetz says “it was to be expected that the virus would reach the team sooner or later. The most important thing now is that everyone sticks to the rules.”

___

10:10 a.m.

The Kosovo judo team has been self-isolating as it prepares for the Tokyo Olympics.

Olympic champion Majlinda Kelmendi, four other judokas and five staff members have closed themselves in at a training center in Peja, 85 kilometers (50 miles) west of Pristina.

Kelmendi is the first athlete from Kosovo to win an Olympic gold medal.

Coach Driton Kuka is among the group. None of them has been infected by the virus.

Kosovo has had 16 coronavirus cases. All sports and other entertainment or cultural activities have been suspended in the country and schools, cafes, restaurants, gyms and pools have been closed.

___

9:55 a.m.

The Diamond League has called off its first three track meets of the season.

The Diamond League was scheduled to start in Qatar next month. Two meets in China in May were to follow. The Diamond League says travel restrictions and disrupted preparations caused by the coronavirus outbreak have made it impossible to stage those competitions on time.

The season is now tentatively set to begin in Stockholm on May 24.

Only one of the three canceled meets has been rescheduled. The event in Shanghai is now set for Aug. 13. The meet in Qatar and the second Chinese meet have been postponed indefinitely but could be restaged after the Diamond League final in September.

The 2020 season was supposed to see a shift in how the Diamond League is run with an extended 15-meet season and fewer events at each.

China has already resumed a partial track and field schedule after the virus outbreak subsided. It was supposed to host the world indoor championships this month in Nanjing but that event was moved to 2021.

___

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.

Click to Read More and View Comments

Click to Hide