Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Athletes banned until 2020 can compete at Olympics: Athletics Integrity head

The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics will allow athletes banned until 2020 to qualify for the Games next year as doping bans are based on time periods and not events, Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) head Brett Clothier told Reuters. Last month, the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government agreed to postpone the Tokyo Games, due to start in July, to 2021 because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 150,000 people worldwide. Silver: NBA has no timetable to restart

The NBA isn't close to making any decisions on a potential restart, and it isn't setting any deadlines, commissioner Adam Silver said Friday. The league has been shut down since Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 on March 11. 'Big Three' discussing ways to help lower-level players, says Djokovic

Novak Djokovic has been in touch with fellow ATP Player Council members Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal to discuss ways to assist lower-ranked players facing financial struggles amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, the world number one said on Saturday. Answering a fan's question during his Instagram live chat with Stan Wawrinka, Player Council chief Djokovic said steps would be taken to ensure that only those players who are most deserving will benefit from any relief plans. Djokovic shares Olympic regrets with Murray in live chat

Live tennis action is a fading memory during the coronavirus shutdown but 20,000 fans tuned in to watch old rivals Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray chew the fat on Instagram on Friday. Sitting on their sofas at home, the duo spent an entertaining hour reminiscing about some of the classics in their 36-match series, painful losses and even came up with the perfect tennis player. On this day: Born April 19 1970: Kelly Holmes, British middle distance runner

Six days in August 2004 redefined the life of British middle distance runner Kelly Holmes but only in the aftermath of her double gold-medal winning display at the Athens Olympics did the price she paid to scale such athletic heights truly emerge. Colonel Dame Kelly Holmes, who turns 50 on Sunday, is now a highly respected mentor of young athletes, the proud recipient of myriad awards for her service to the community and in the forefront of the battle for improved mental health. Ionescu picks up WNBA torch as she steps into New York spotlight

With expectations higher than the skyscrapers of Manhattan, the WNBA's number-one overall draft pick Sabrina Ionescu is poised to transform the New York Liberty and ready to torch the competition with the national spotlight pointed on her. Already dubbed "Lady Liberty" in the pages of the New York Post, the Big Apple is ready to roll out the red carpet for the University of Oregon guard, who was the first NCAA player to score 2,000 career points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists. Vanessa Bryant posts tribute to Kobe on wedding anniversary

Vanessa Bryant described her late husband Kobe as "my king" in a message posted on social media on Saturday on what would have been the couple's wedding anniversary. "My king, my heart, my best friend. Happy 19th wedding anniversary baby," she wrote on Instagram to accompany a photo of the couple. NBA: Players to receive 25% less pay from May 15

The NBA has reached an agreement with the National Basketball Players Association to withhold 25% of each player's salary from May 15 due to the shutdown of the sport because of the coronavirus pandemic. The deal would provide a gradual reduction in player salaries in case a "force majeure" event, such as the pandemic, wipes out the rest of the regular season. Williams coach Mouratoglou launches five-week tournament amid pandemic

Serena Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou says his tennis academy will host a five-week tournament starting in May that will give players the chance to get back on court during the COVID-19 pandemic. The inaugural edition of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) - which aims to fill the gap in the tennis calendar created by the health crisis - will take place without fans at the facility in the south of France, and be broadcast live, organisers said in a statement on Saturday. Too early to worry coronavirus will further delay Tokyo Games

It is premature to think the novel coronavirus outbreak will further delay the Tokyo Olympics, which have already been postponed a year, Brian McCloskey, an expert on global health security and outbreak prevention told Reuters. Under increasing pressure from athletes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo Games organisers last month postponed the 2020 Games for one year as the coronavirus spread, shutting down global sport.