Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Soccer: 1982 Brazil team reunite to help fight COVID-19

Members of Brazil’s 1982 World Cup squad have reunited to ask their compatriots to work together and donate money to help the country’s overcrowded favelas avoid the worst ravages of the coronavirus. In an initiative led by Paulo Roberto Falcao, 19 players, including Zico, Junior and Leandro, recorded a video message appealing for donations. ITF chief advises players to seek local support during shutdown

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is looking at ways to help those most severely affected by the sport's shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and advises players to claim government support where possible, its chief David Haggerty told Reuters. The tennis season was halted in early March due to the pandemic, leaving players in the lower tiers who rely on tournament winnings without the opportunity to earn a living. XFL suspending operations: reports

The rebooted XFL told staff on Friday it was suspending operations and laying off most employees after failing to finish its first season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, local media reports said. NBC Sports Profootballtalk reported that league president Jeffrey Pollack read a statement to employees on a 10-minute conference call informing them the league was shutting down with no mention of plans, if any, for next season. Motor racing: Renault furloughs 'vast majority' of F1 team to end of May

Renault have furloughed most of their British-based Formula One race team until the end of May due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with management also taking a pay cut, the French carmaker announced on Friday. Renault said the engine factory at Viry-Chatillon in France had moved to a part-time schedule from April 6 for a provisional 12 weeks. NHL executive: Cities are offering to host neutral-site games

The NHL is listening to offers from venues around North America that are volunteering to host neutral-site playoff games. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly discussed the proposals with ESPN on Friday. Tokyo 2020 working toward new date, but virus clouds future

Tokyo Olympics organisers are focusing on their new Games start date in 2021, they stressed on Friday -- even if the coronavirus outbreak complicates preparations for the remade extravaganza. Last month, the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government agreed to postpone the Games, due to start in July this year, to 2021 because of the impact of coronavirus, which has killed over 89,000 people worldwide. FIFA chief warns against re-starting soccer too early

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has warned against re-starting soccer too early amid the coronavirus pandemic, telling FIFA's 211 member associations on Friday that such behaviour would be irresponsible. Soccer around the world has come to a standstill with domestic leagues on hold and major tournaments such as Euro 2020 and the Copa America postponed for one year. Doping: Russian ban could harm Olympic movement during coronavirus crisis - minister

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said on Friday officials should not rule against the country in its appeal to overturn a doping ban because it would undermine the Olympic movement as the world struggles to contain the coronavirus. Russia has appealed a four-year ban from competing under its flag at major international sporting events, including the Olympics. The ban was imposed after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found that Moscow had provided it with doctored laboratory data. USA Swimming reschedules Olympic team trials

USA Swimming said on Friday it had rescheduled its Olympic trials to June 13-20, 2021 and that they would remain in Omaha, Nebraska. The rescheduling of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to July 23 to Aug. 8 next year due to the novel coronavirus outbreak has left a number of U.S. sports scrambling to reschedule their trials. Report: MLB considering radical 2020 realignment plan

Major League Baseball is considering a radical realignment plan that would scrap traditional leagues and place teams in six divisions based on spring training locations for the 2020 season, USA Today reported on Friday. Having Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues with three divisions apiece are among the options MLB officials are discussing, according to the report.