The chairman of FIFA's medical committee has said he is "sceptical" about restarting league football during the coronavirus pandemic and suggested national competitions concentrate on getting ready for next season instead.
There has been talk of Germany's Bundesliga and England's Premier League resuming behind closed doors.
But Michel D'Hooghe, the head of global governing body FIFA's medical panel, told the BBC on Tuesday: "My proposal is if it is possible, avoid playing competitive football in the coming weeks.
"Try to be prepared for the start of good competition next season."
Dutch football chiefs have already abandoned this season's Eredivisie, with no promotion or relegation, while the future of the 2019/20 Ligue 1 campaign was thrown into doubt when the French Prime Minister said Tuesday that no major sport in the country could take place until the end of the summer.
Meanwhile D'Hooghe warned too quick a resumption of football could have "consequences of life and death".
The ...

FIFA medical chief wary of resuming season amid virus threat

PTI Automatic

Turkish athlete Gulcan Mingir, a 3,000 metre steeplechase specialist, was "disqualified" from the London 2012 Olympics after a positive doping test, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said.
Mingir, 30, finished 27th in the women's steeplechase eight years ago, but has had that result scrapped.
"Re-analysis of Mingir's samples from London 2012 resulted in a positive test for the prohibited substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (turabinol)," the IOC said in a statement.
Mingir won the gold medal in the event at the 2012 European Championships in Helsinki.

Turkish athlete has London 2012 sample test positive for doping

Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton endorsed Joe Biden's White House bid on Tuesday.
"I want to add my voice to the many who have endorsed you to be our president," Clinton said during a live video conference with the former vice president.  "I wish you were president right now," the former First Lady and Secretary of State said.
"Think of what it would mean if we had a real president not just somebody who plays one on TV," she added in a jab at President Donald Trump, Biden's expected opponent in November.

Hillary Clinton endorses Joe Biden's White House bid

British Airways is set to slash up to 12,000 jobs as part of a restructuring plan as the carrier grapples with the fallout of the novel coronavirus pandemic, its parent company IAG said Tuesday.
The firm said it was still deliberating its options but that it was "likely that they will affect most of British Airways' employees and may result in the redundancy of up to 12,000".
Passenger demand will take "several years" to return to 2019 levels, it added.  Shares in International Airlines Group (IAG), which also owns Iberia and Vueling, lost 2.2 percent as preliminary results showed that first quarter revenue fell by 13 percent to 4.6 billion euros (USD 4.9 billion).
The group's operating result before exceptional items came in at a loss of 535 million euros, compared with a profit of 135 million last year, with the second quarter expected to be worse.
IAG said it had reduced passenger capacity for April and May by 94 percent compared with the same period last year.
BA chief executive ..

British Airways set to cut up to 12,000 jobs

China on Tuesday went on the offensive against international criticism over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, accusing US politicians of "barefaced lies".
The new virus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year before spreading across the world, and countries including the United States and Australia have called for an investigation into how the disease transformed into a global pandemic.
But Beijing came out swinging on Tuesday in response to foreign criticism, saying the US was attacking China to divert attention from its own handling of the outbreak.
China also defended its ambassador to Australia who has warned that Chinese people could boycott imported goods in retaliation to the demands for a virus inquiry.
"American politicians have repeatedly ignored the truth and have been telling barefaced lies," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters at a press briefing.
"They have only one objective: shirk their responsibility for their own poor ...

China decries 'barefaced lies' over its handling of virus

The king of the Konyak tribe sleeps in Myanmar, but eats in India -- his house, village and people divided by a mountain border which serves as a vulnerable lifeline now severed by a coronavirus lockdown.
The Konyak are just one of dozens of Naga tribes, a people yearning to reunite the 3 million living in India with their 400,000 estranged -- and much poorer -- cousins in Myanmar's isolated far north.
Many from Myanmar cross the border to attend school, sell vegetables or visit a hospital, as it is a days-long journeys by foot to the nearest town in Myanmar.
Tonyei Phawng claims to be the 12th generation of his family to rule the Konyak, whose feared tattooed warriors once brought home their enemies' heads as trophies. His son, the crown prince, will one day take over in a lineage many believe possess supernatural powers.
Dressed in civilian tracksuit and trainers in his village of Longwa, the 43-year-old king described to AFP in February how his Myanmar brothers were often stopped ..

Finding Nagaland: Tribes on India-Myanmar frontier dream of unity

England captain Joe Root said Tuesday he had been sledged during his cricket career for looking like American comedian and chat show host Ellen DeGeneres.
Sledging, the practice where a fielding side verbally abuses a batsman to disturb his concentration, can take many forms.
But Root said he understood what had led opponents to come up with the unusual jibe.
"I've been called Ellen DeGeneres on a number of occasions over the course of my career," Root told BBC Radio 1.
"I think there's a likeness there."
With the start of the English cricket season suspended until July at the earliest because of the coronavirus, Root, 29, appeared on the pop music station to select some of his favourite records.
He opted for 'Mardy Bum' by the Arctic Monkeys and 'She Moves In Her Own Way' by the Kooks as his opening two 'Mancave Anthems'.
His choices also included 'The Greatest Show' as a tribute to England star all-rounder Ben Stokes.

England captain Root reveals Ellen DeGeneres sledges

French professional sports leagues including football and rugby cannot restart before September because of coronavirus restrictions, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Tuesday.
Philippe made the announcement as part of a gradual plan to lift the lockdown in France. He said no event where more than 5,000 people gather would be allowed until at least September.
The news is also likely to affect the Tour de France, due to embark from Nice on August 29 and where huge crowds would be expected to gather at the start and finish lines.
"The 2019-2020 professional sports leagues, notably football, cannot yet restart," Philippe told a televised address to French parliament at the National Assembly.
"I would like to be precise here, no large sports gathering or any gathering of 5,000 people or more, needing the permission of the local police and long prior arrangements, will be allowed before September," Philippe said.  The announcement appears to scupper the plans of French football's top .

French football, rugby seasons off until September: PM

Margaret Trudeau, the mother of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was rushed to hospital overnight after a fire broke out in her Montreal apartment, sources and local media said Tuesday.
Emergency response officials told AFP that one person was transported to hospital, as local media posted images of several fire trucks, their long ladders extended and hoses strewn across the road at her downtown residence.
The prime minister's office did not immediately respond to requests for information.
But public broadcaster Radio-Canada said Margaret Trudeau, who is also the widow of late prime minister Pierre Trudeau, was treated in hospital for smoke inhalation and possibly burns.
She is expected to recover.
The blaze reportedly started on a fifth floor terrace, and took 70 firefighters to douse. Three families were evacuated.

Apartment fire sends Canada PM's mother to hospital

The Bundesliga could return by "the middle or end of May", Germany's sports ministers have said, as the league awaits the go-ahead from Angela Merkel's government to resume the season.
The sports ministers of Germany's 16 states met Monday and announced in a statement that it is "justifiable" for the league to resume "in empty stadiums" from "the middle or end of May".
"The German Football League must create and enforce the strictest hygienic and medical conditions, and monitor them with appropriate measures," added the statement.
German Chancellor Merkel will meet state leaders in Berlin on Thursday, when it is hoped the Bundesliga will get the green light to resume.
All football in Germany ground to a halt in mid March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week, the German Football League (DFL) announced it is ready to resume from May 9, albeit behind closed doors with tight hygiene measures and players tested regularly.
A return in May would make the Bundesliga the first top league 

Bundesliga could resume in 'mid to late May', say sports ministers

Tottenham became the latest Premier League club to open their doors to players on Tuesday as part of the "Project Restart" plan to finish the English top-flight season.
The Premier League has been suspended since March 13 due to the coronavirus crisis but there is growing belief the campaign can be concluded over the summer months.
Resuming matches on June 8 is reportedly among the ideas set to be discussed when the Premier League's key stakeholders meet on Friday.
That would require full training to begin by May 18 and Premier League clubs are starting to work towards that date by giving players the option of using their training grounds.
Tottenham have followed Arsenal, West Ham and Brighton in allowing players to use facilities for individual sessions that conform to social-distancing guidelines.
"No more than one player per pitch will be permitted at any one time to undertake on-pitch exercise, with only a restricted number of the squad coming to the training centre each day," a ..

Premier League's 'Project Restart' gathers pace

French football is mourning Robert Herbin, the inspirational coach of the flamboyant Saint-Etienne team that was narrowly defeated in the 1976 European Cup final.
Herbin died on Monday aged 81 after being taken to hospital last week with heart and lung problems unrelated to coronavirus.
He played more than 400 matches for Saint-Etienne and later brought a cerebral approach to coaching, earning the nickname the "The Sphinx" as he dragged French football back into the international spotlight.
France's national team slumped in the early 1970s, failing to reach the 1970 and 1974 World Cup finals, so the European run of Herbin's Saint-Etienne side caught the nation's attention.
The green-shirted team from central France that featured future France and Tottenham Hotspur manager Jacques Santini, midfielder creator Jean-Michel Larque and the talented Dominique Rocheteau as a substitute were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
Herbin recalled that he was convinced ...

French football mourns Robert Herbin, 'who made the impossible possible'

England prop Ellis Genge is aiming to set up a new players' union to "shake up the rugby scene" because he is dissatisfied with the way the issue of pay cuts was been handled during the coronavirus pandemic.
The 25-year-old Leicester star says he does not wish to replace the Rugby Players' Association but he believes the organisation is too closely tied to the Rugby Football Union. The RPA receives funding from the RFU and Premiership Rugby.
Genge told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast that he was in talks with interested parties over financing, although he was also seeking funding from players.
He said the RPA was "always going to lean in favour" of the RFU or Premiership Rugby, which he said was understandable.
"I am not trying to go against owners of clubs, or the RFU or the RPA. I think we can all work in tandem," he said.
"But I do think it is time to shake up the rugby scene, and look after players -- commercially, and in every aspect -- a lot better."
Genge, along with ...

England's Genge wants to 'shake up' rugby with new players' union

Chris Froome's hunger for a fifth or even sixth Tour de France victory remains undiminished although he is unsure the race can go ahead in 2020 due to coronavirus, he told French daily L'Equipe in an interview published on Tuesday.
The Tour's postponement until late August suits the four-time winner who has been fighting to regain fitness from severe injuries sustained in a training crash last June.
"It's an advantage for me, the race being put back, but it's not something to celebrate," said Froome.
The Kenyan-born racer feels the Tour may still be cancelled due to the pandemic, but is training hard for victory at his Monaco base.
"I'm confident I'll be 100 percent fit at the starting line," said Froome, who turns 35 next month and who is in the final year of his Ineos contract.
"Maybe it won't take place, but I'm training as if it will go ahead," he told L'Equipe.
"We have the new date and mentally I'm focussed on being ready."
The Tour has been rescheduled to embark from Nice on ...

Confident Froome trusts Tour de France safety measures

Liverpool's former Republic of Ireland striker Michael Robinson, who became a well-known commentator in Spain, has died aged 61, his family announced on Tuesday.
Robinson, who settled in Spain after his retirement and had an extensive media career, succumbed to cancer first diagnosed in 2018. He passed away at his home in Marbella.
"With tremendous sadness we inform you of Michael's death," his family announced on Twitter.
"It leaves us with a great emptiness, but also countless memories, full of the same love that you have shown him.
"We will be eternally grateful to you for making this man SO HAPPY, he never walked alone. Thank you."
After spells with Preston North End and Manchester City Robinson featured in the 1983 FA Cup final for Brighton, before moving to Anfield.
He was part of the Liverpool squad that captured the league, League Cup and European Cup treble in 1984.
"We're deeply saddened by the passing of former player Michael Robinson, aged 61," Liverpool tweeted.
"The ...

Former Liverpool striker Michael Robinson dies at 61

Broadcasters in 10 foreign territories have bought rights to air the upcoming South Korean football season, the K-League said, with major sports on hold around the world over the coronavirus pandemic.
South Korea endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China, prompting professional sports to suspend or delay their seasons.
But the country appears to have brought its outbreak under control thanks to an extensive "trace, test and treat" programme, and its football season will start on May 8, shortly after baseball resumes on May 5, both behind closed doors.
It will be an oasis of live action in a world where sports fans have been starved of such content by the virus, with broadcasters resorting to repeats of matches from past years, while leagues face the prospect of paying rights-holders multi-million-dollar refunds.
As a result there is new-found interest among broadcasters who would not normally screen the likes of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors or Pohang ...

South Korean football snapped up by sport-deprived foreign broadcasters

World champion Lewis Hamilton said Formula One's coronavirus suspension had left a "big void" in his life as the sport waits to see if it can return in July.
Hamilton, who began go-karting as a child and has risen through the ranks of motorsport, said he misses racing daily after the F1 season failed to get underway.
"I miss racing every day. This is the first time since I was eight that I haven't started a season," the British Mercedes driver posted on Instagram.
"When you live and breathe something you love, when it's gone there's definitely a big void. But there's always positives to take from these times."
The first practice session of the year was just hours away when the season-opening Australian Grand Prix was scrapped in March, triggering a succession of cancellations.
F1 bosses are now hoping to start the delayed season at the Austrian Grand Prix on July 5, while fans will be barred from the British Grand Prix on July 19.
However, Hamilton said the virus shutdown -- which has 

'I miss racing every day', says F1's Hamilton

The postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be cancelled if the coronavirus pandemic isn't brought under control by next year, the organising committee's president said in comments published Tuesday.
The pandemic has already forced a year-long delay of the Games, which are now scheduled to open on July 23, 2021, but Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said no further postponement was possible.
In an interview with Japan's Nikkan Sports daily, Mori was categorical when asked if the Olympics could be delayed until 2022 if the pandemic remains a threat next year, replying: "No." "In that case, it's cancelled," Mori said.
Mori said the Games had been cancelled previously only during wartime and compared the battle against coronavirus to "fighting an invisible enemy".
If the virus is successfully contained, "we'll hold the Olympics in peace next summer", he added. "Mankind is betting on it." Under heavy pressure from athletes and sports associations, Japanese organisers and the International ...

Next year's Olympics will be cancelled if pandemic not over: Games chief

Liverpool have halted their planned redevelopment of a stand at Anfield for a year in response to the coronavirus crisis.
The Premier League leaders said Monday the pandemic had seen them call a halt to work on the Anfield Road stand that will increase the capacity of the ground to 61,000.
Liverpool had hoped to have the work finished in 2022 but the project won't now be completed until 2023 at the earliest.
"We have experienced a number of delays to the planned project as a direct result of the COVID-19 lockdown," Liverpool chief operating officer Andy Hughes told the club's website.
"Given the challenges that many sectors are facing right now, including the construction, procurement and public sectors, we are taking a responsible approach to pause the project for at least 12 months.
"The complex build programme for Anfield Road is an 18-month process and needs two clear summer closed season windows in order for it to be successful.
"This is why we are pausing on the project for at ..

Virus halts Anfield redevelopment

The NBA informed clubs that it plans to allow individual workouts by players at team facilities no sooner than May 8 in areas where allowed by government regulations.
The league shut down its 2019-20 season on March 12 after Utah's Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus and this marks the first small step toward resuming the campaign, although no timetable for that has been announced.
The move comes as several state and local governments have started easing stay-at-home orders on non-essential business activity.
Georgia and Oklahoma were among the first states with NBA teams to relax quarantine regulations, opening the door to possible workouts at club gyms and courts, with more states set to follow suit in the coming days.
"The purpose of these changes is to allow for safe and controlled environments for players to train in states that allow them to do so, and to create a process for identifying safe training options for players located in other states," the league said in a 

NBA set to allow individual workouts not before May 8

The Argentine football association will put an end to the 2019-20 season which has been interrupted since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, its president Claudio Tapia said.
"We are going to end the tournaments so we can designate the teams qualified for continental competitions next year," Tapia told a local news channel.
The Argentine FA also said there will be no relegation this season or next due to the disruption caused by the health crisis.
Gimnasia, the club coached by Diego Maradona, will remain in the top division as a result. Relegation is calculated by a complicated system of points taken over a three-year period.
Boca Juniors won the league championship with a 1-0 victory over Gimnasia on the final day at the start of March.
The Copa Superliga, a 24-team tournament scheduled to finish with a play-off at the end of May, has been scrapped after just one round of games.
Argentina has been in lockdown since March 20, with the quarantine restrictions in place until at .

AFP

AFP

Page 16 - Afp