As Belarus resists imposing a lockdown to combat the coronavirus, its football league has stumbled into the international limelight as Europe's only remaining top-flight competition.
But players are worried about the health risks and only diehard fans are braving matches.
FC Slutsk fan Yahor Khavanski, 26, is "a bit afraid" but could not imagine quitting his weekend football fix.
On Sunday he intends to don a surgical mask and an FC Slutsk scarf and "try not to touch anything" at a clash against rivals Belshina Bobruisk.
"The stadium holds 2,000 people, but only 300 came to the last match. You can sit anywhere you want and keep your distance," he told AFP by phone.
Khavanski says he will keep attending matches, regardless of the risk. In his view, he faces "the same odds of being infected on public transport or in shops".
Life has continued as normal in Belarus, whose authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed World Health Organisation recommendations to impose a virus ...

Belarusian football wins fans abroad as locals boycott matches

PTI Automatic

Dina Asher-Smith's chances of Olympic glory could be hampered by a year's delay to the Games, according to Iwan Thomas.
Reigning 200 metres world champion Asher-Smith was one of Britain's best prospects for gold in Japan this year.
But the 2020 Tokyo Games have been pushed back until July next year because of the coronavirus outbreak and British 400 metres record-holder Thomas believes an extra 12 months' preparation time could count against Asher-Smith.
"For some it'll be a good thing," said Thomas, a member of the British men's team that won 4x400m silver at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
"I felt for Dina Asher-Smith who is mentally and physically at the top of her game.
"She might still improve but being the current world champion you are there to be shot at and people fear her a little bit.
"They would have gone in fearing her but one year on you could say she was on the crest of a wave, what a shame she's been paused.
"But for others it's a godsend to have another winter's training ...

Tokyo delay may harm Asher-Smith's chances, says former Olympian

India's Sanjeev Rajput and Shahzar Rizvi won 10m air rifle and air pistol event finals respectively in the second International Online Shooting Championship on Saturday.
Rajput shot 252.6 in the 24-shot final, which was introduced for Saturday's championship after the success of the inaugural event, to finish on top in the 10m air rifle event.
Austria's Martin Strempfl was second with 251.7 while France's Etienne Germond claimed the third spot with 230.1.
In the 10m air pistol event, Rizvi shot 241.7 to clinch the top prize. Compatriot Amanpreet Singh took the second spot with 241.5 while Scotland's Lucy Evans finished third after scoring 214.9.
The innovative event is an initiative of former India shooter Shimon Sharif to help the athletes get a feel of competition during the coronavirus-forced lockdown in many countries.
The competitors logged in through Zoom app from their respective locations and shot using their Electronic Shooting Targets.
The competition was live-streamed on ...

Rajput, Rizvi win respective events in 2nd international online shooting meet

India's flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Saturday batted for an IPL behind closed doors owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During an Instagram chat with Dinesh Karthik, Hardik also said on a lighter note that one cup of coffee proved to very costly for him, referring to his controversial remark on TV show 'Koffee With Karan', which created a furore.
Speaking about the possibility of hosting the IPL without spectators, he said, "It will be different. We are used to playing with the crowd as the feel of competition comes with the crowd.
"I've played in the Ranji Trophy without crowds, and it feels different. To be honest, if that (IPL behind closed doors) happens, then it will be a smarter option. At least people will be entertained at home," Hardik said.
The all-rounder had his brother Krunal for company during the chat session.
Krunal also agreed with Hardik's view on IPL.
When the discussion turned to his controversial remark, Hardik said, "I don't drink coffee, I drink green tea 

Hardik says IPL behind closed door an option

Cricket West Indies have said they are "flexible" about rearranging their tour of England but will not risk their players' health just to complete a three-Test series.
The fixtures were all due to take place in June but Friday saw the England and Wales Cricket Board extend the delay to the start of its season until July 1.
English officials remain hopeful they can reschedule all international fixtures in a programme that also includes three more Tests against Pakistan and white-ball matches against Australia and Ireland, from July until September.
CWI chief executive Johnny Grave insisted while the West Indies were open to a change of dates, player safety remained the priority.
"Clearly playing in June is now not possible and we will continue our discussions with the ECB and other international boards on trying to find new dates," said Grave in a statement from the governing body.
"Our respective medical teams are beginning to discuss how this (England) series could be played whilst ..

West Indies 'flexible' over England tour as ECB weigh overseas offers

Chelsea have said they won't impose a pay cut on their first-team squad in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
But the Premier League side added Saturday they had asked players to continue donating to charities during the ongoing pandemic.
It has been reported the west London club have been in talks with their players about a salary reduction of around 10 percent in a bid to reduce costs at a time when football has been suspended because of the virus.
That figure, however, is significantly lower than the Premier League's suggestion of 30 percent for all clubs.
But that has not stopped the Stamford Bridge side from taking their own course of action as they highlighted the #PlayersTogether initiative launched by Premier League players earlier this month, which aims to raise and distribute funds for charities supporting Britain's National Health Service (NHS).
"Representatives of the Chelsea board have recently held extensive talks with the men's first team to discuss how they can ...

Chelsea opt against pay cut, tell players to donate to charity

Declan Rice has said one of the "nicer" consequences of the coronavirus outbreak is that it has temporarily removed the "stress" of West Ham's fight against Premier League relegation.
The Hammers were above the bottom three on goal difference with nine games to play when the English top flight was suspended last month as a result of the pandemic.
England midfielder Rice said while he was missing being around his team-mates at the east London club there were some benefits from the unexpected break.
"It's tough because I am used to seeing my team-mates and going out every day, to have that taken away from you is really tough," he told Sky Sports.
"On a nicer scale of it, it is nice with the position we are in at West Ham, not to feel the pressure of having to go out and play for three points every week.
"It's nice from that perspective not to have that stress, but we just want to get back to it now," added the 21-year-old.
Friday saw the Netherlands' Eredivisie become the first top ...

West Ham's Rice glad of virus relief from relegation stress

India spinner Kuldeep Yadav says former opener
Gautam Gambhir and legendary pacer Wasim Akram had a "big influence" on his career in his early years at Kolkata Knight Riders.
Kuldeep said that Gambhir, who led KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, gave him confidence by assuring him of a place in the team.
"Gauti bhai had a huge influence on me from the start of my stint at KKR. He always spoke to me a lot. Not only during the time he was at KKR, but even after that, over these last two years," Kuldeep was quoted as saying by the franchise's website.
"He always kept me motivated. When you get that kind of confidence from your captain, it becomes a huge plus point for any player. It helps you remain confident, and that translates into good performances."
The chinaman bowler said former Pakistan captain Akram helped him more with the mental aspect of the game.
"Wasim sir used to like me a lot too. He didn't speak much about bowling, but he prepared me a lot in terms of mentally taking 

Gambhir, Akram had big influence on me in my early years at KKR: Kuldeep

England fast bowler Jofra Archer said Saturday he'd "gone mad" looking for his World Cup winner's medal after losing the prized piece of silverware while moving house.
Last year saw the Sussex quick establish himself on the global stage as he helped England win their first men's 50-over global title, with Archer's 20 wickets at 23.05 the most taken by any member of the champions' squad.
The 25-year-old, who only made his international debut in 2019, was also given the daunting responsibility of bowling the Super Over in the final at Lord's.
Archer, however, held his nerve brilliantly as England edged out New Zealand in a thrilling finish decided on boundary countback after the teams' scores were level after both regulation play and cricket's answer to 'extra time'.
But the Barbados-born quick, asked Saturday about where his medal was now, told BBC Radio: "I had it hanging off a portrait someone did for me and sent to me, I had my medal hanging on that.
"I moved flat and the picture is 

Archer reveals he's lost his World Cup medal

Asian Games gold-winning boxer Dingko Singh was on Saturday airlifted from Imphal to the national capital for his liver cancer treatment.
Dingko's transfer to Delhi by a Spicejet air ambulance was facilitated by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) after he missed a scheduled radiation therapy session due to the ongoing coronavirus-forced national lockdown.
The 41-year-old was due to undergo radiation therapy a fortnight back but could not come to Delhi because of the lockdown.
BFI president Ajay Singh, who is also the Chairman and Managing Director of  SpiceJet, personally took the initiative to fly out Dingko after learning about his deteriorating health.
"I am to happy share that Dingko, our champion boxer, has reached Delhi and has been taken to hospital for further treatment. SpiceJet is honoured to have provided its air ambulance service to our national hero and fly him to Delhi for his treatment and we wish him a speedy recovery," Singh said.
The decorated boxer was accompanied 

Dingko Singh airlifted to Delhi for cancer treatment

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said the country will need to raise the level of athletics at the world stage.
He was speaking at the inaugural session of the six-day online technical officials' seminar jointly conducted by the South Asian Athletics Federation and the Athletics Federation of India.
"Athletics is the heart and soul of the Olympic Games and we need to raise the level of our athletics," Rijiju said.
"I want to give the young athletes the opportunity to realise their dreams," he said in the virtual session.
He said a number of moves had been initiated by the government to enable India make a breakthrough in realising its potential in sports.
"We want to create a big sports culture in the country so that we can improve our presence in world sport. It is our obligation to raise the level of sport in India," he said.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe complimented SAAF and AFI for conceiving the six-day seminar.
"Our sport simply does not function at any level .

Rijiju says country needs to raise standard of athletics

This year's delayed London Marathon may now be restricted to elite runners only, race organiser Hugh Brasher has said.
However, he added this was just one of "ten scenarios" currently being considered by his team.
The 2020 edition of the race through the British capital was meant to take place on Sunday but has been postponed until October 4 because of the coronavirus outbreak.
But with no certainty as to when British government lockdown restrictions banning mass gatherings will be lifted, a race that featured nearly 43,000 runners last year may now follow the lead of last month's Tokyo Marathon, which went ahead with elite runners only.
Distance greats Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele are meant to compete in the elite men's race at this year's London Marathon and Brasher told the BBC: "We hope we can welcome them back in October but at this stage we just don't know what is going to happen.
"We have to look at it in totality, with three quarters of a million spectators, the medical .

London Marathon may now be for elite only

England pace great James Anderson has decided to auction his autographed shirt, bat and a wicket from the last Test that he played in Cape Town to help raise funds for the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
Taking to Twitter, Anderson wrote: "We''re auctioning this lot off on eBay for @gowellfund. My shirt and stump from the last Test I played in Cape Town and my Tailender bat."
The pandemic, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has so far claimed close to two lakh lives and infected more than 28 lakh people across the world.
The pandemic has led to cancellation or postponement of all sporting events, including the Tokyo Olympics.
But sportspersons from around the world have come forward to support as the world battles the unprecedented health crisis.
Recently, India captain Virat Kohli and his Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate AB de Villiers decided to auction their 2016 IPL bats, shirts and gloves online with the proceeds from that going to the needy ones.
Before the ...

To raise funds, Anderson auctions shirt, bat and wicket

All India Tennis Association (AITA) is collaborating with Sports Authority of India (SAI) to conduct an education webinar for coaches from April 27 to May 9.
The online programme will have a total of 12 sessions, to be undertaken by  various tennis experts and tutors, over a period of two weeks starting on Monday on Zoom.
During the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AITA seeks  to engage the tennis coaches by sharing new developments in coaching.
The webinar will touch upon topics like Tennis During Lockdown, Fitness Training, Goal Setting, Strategy and Tactics, Nutrition, Mental Training, First  Aid, Competitions Format, Coaching Children and Youngsters, Communication and Information regarding the AITA Circuit, ITF Tours, ATP Tour and WTA Tour, to name a few.
Suresh Sonachalam, the director of AITA's coach education programme and  administrator Nar Singh will launch the webinar.
Gary O'Brien, Balachandran Manikkath, Chelston Pinto, Nandan Bal, Shiny Chandran, ...

AITA, SAI to start education webinar for tennis coaches

Alarmed by the recent spike in coronavirus cases in Kolkata, Indian cricketer Shahbaz Nadeem has put off his plans to return to his residence here for the treatment of his ailing wife.
Suffering from liver-related ailments, his wife Saman Akhtar was being treated in Kolkata but due to the coronavirus-forced national lockdown, Nadeem could not return here from his in-laws place in Dhanbad. The couple also have a one-year-old son.
"There's a lot of cases in Kolkata recently and most of the areas are marked red zone. I think we are safe here (in Dhanbad). We are in touch with the doctors in Kolkata and taking the medicines. She is doing fine now," the 30-year-old Nadeem told PTI.
Kolkata and Howrah have been designated COVID-19 "red zones". As of Friday, the total number of COVID-19 cases in West Bengal stood at 503, while the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry website put the figure at 514.
The left-arm spinner, who made his international debut last year in a Test against South ...

Alarmed by situation in Kolkata, Nadeem stays put with ailing wife in Dhanbad

Star shuttler P V Sindhu says she was desperate to win the World Championships title last year after a string of runner-up finishes as people started calling her "silver Sindhu".
Sindhu, who also won a silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics, admitted that she felt bad when people said she has a "final phobia".
"In the World Championships (last year), it was my third final, I have also won two bronze. I thought I have to win this at any cost. I was so desperate to win the title. I did not want people to say she lost in final again," Sindhu said.
"I thought no matter what happens, I will give 100 per cent and I have to just win this title. There were times people say 'silver Sindhu' about me. Sometimes these things comes to my mind," she told Indian women cricketers Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues on the talk show "Double Trouble".
Talking about that day of final when she beat her nemesis Nozomi Okuhara of Japan 21-7 21-7, Sindhu said, "Even if we say we are fine and cool, we have .

Sindhu says was desperate to win World C'ships as people started calling her 'silver Sindhu'

Sports Authority of India's director general Sandip Pradhan on Saturday lauded All India Football Federation for conducting online refresher course for coaches and said the sport is evolving in a big way in the country.
The ongoing 13-day course started on April 20.
"It has always been SAI's effort to upgrade the knowledge base of coaches because every sport is evolving, and unless coaches are abreast with these changes they cannot impart the best training to athletes," the SAI DG said.
"I am very happy with the efforts put by AIFF to make the online session for football coaches a success. Football is evolving in India in a big way, and going forward SAI and AIFF will take up many such interesting projects together," Pradhan added.
Coaches from across the country have signed up for the course to be overseen by coaching instructors of AIFF besides men's national team head coach Igor Stimac and technical director Isac Doru.
"This is for the first time that SAI in association with ...

Football is evolving in a big way in India, says SAI DG

Sachin Tendulkar says he was "clueless" on his Test debut and almost cried thinking it was all over for him.
When he walked out for the last time 24 years later, Tendulkar would do so as a batting great with a record 200 Test appearances to his name.
"I was clueless, I have to admit that. I played the first Test as if I was playing a school match," Sachin told Nasser Hussain during the 'Nasser meets Sachin' episode on Skysports.
In his first Test in 1989, Tendulkar was up against a Pakistan pace attack comprising Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.
Recalling the outing, he said, "Wasim and Waqar were bowling quick, and they were delivering short balls and all sorts of intimidating things they could do. I had never experienced anything like that, so the first outing wasn't a pleasant one.
"Occasionally, I got beaten by their pace and bounce, and when I got out on 15, I felt embarrassed when I walked back to the dressing room.
"I was like 'what have you done, why did you play like 

I was clueless on Test debut, thought had played my last game: Tendulkar

The Chess Players Forum, a collective group of players in the country, has appealed to the world federation (FIDE) to step in and resolve the crisis in the affairs of the national body (AICF).
The Chess Players Forum functions as a voice for the players' rights, welfare and responsibilities.
Referring to the state-of-affairs in the All India Chess Federation (AICF), which has been riddled with infighting and legal battles, the forum president Varugeese Koshy wrote to the FIDE chief, requesting his intervention in solving the impasse.
"On behalf of all the chess players of India, the Chess Players Forum hereby wishes to appeal to the FIDE to step in and resolve the crisis in the affairs of the AICF. We assure that the Chess Players Forum will be ready to assist in whichever manner in any such initiative," Koshy wrote in his letter.
The forum, which includes a number of noted players including the country's second Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua, fellow GM  Abhijit Kunte and International ...

Chess Players Forum approaches FIDE to resolve AICF crisis

Indian Test wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha on Saturday said his locked ancestral house in Siliguri was the target of a burglary attempt on Friday.
Saha's uncles, who live nearby at Shaktigarh area of the city, foiled the attempt and alerted the police. The miscreants, numbering around six, fled off in their car.
"It's really unfortunate. We only had heard about burglary during our childhood days... Hopefully, police will look into the matter," Saha, who lives with his family in south Kolkata, said.
Saha's elder brother works in Mumbai, while his parents, who had come here for a vacation, are stuck due to the nationwide lockdown.
"Apparently the miscreants knew about this and attempted the burglary by entering through back door around 2am on Friday. But his uncles who stay in the nearby locality shouted and alerted the police," Saha's childhood coach Jayanta Bhowmick said.
All the houses are fitted with CCTV and police are looking into the matter.

Burglary attempt in Saha's ancestral home in Siliguri

The Archery Association of India (AAI) on Saturday said it is in touch with the Sports Ministry to facilitate the treatment of ailing three-time Olympian Limba Ram, who is suffering from a neuro-degenerative condition.
The 47-year-old has developed swelling in both his legs after his injections could not be administered due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Limba and his wife Merian Jenny are staying at the residential hostel of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi for more than a year.
"I informed the AAI president (Arjun Munda) immediately after knowing about his condition. Our team has already got in touch with them and we are making the necessary arrangements," AAI secretary general Pramod Chandurkar told PTI.
Limba, who came close to winning a bronze medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, was being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) before the lockdown. He has now been referred to the GB Pant Hospital.
"But it's ...

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