Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Teams to set new ticketing guidelines amid coronavirus season delay

As ballparks across North America sit empty, Major League Baseball teams are set to release new ticket policies that could see some fans getting refunds, a little over a month after the season was supposed to start. Like other major professional sports leagues, MLB's calendar has been put on hold amid the coronavirus outbreak that has kept millions across the globe indoors and away from large public gatherings to stem the spread of the virus. New research says players at risk of coronavirus spread to lungs

Research from Germany and Italy suggests that footballers and other athletes face a particular risk of the coronavirus infecting their lungs, raising major questions over attempts to restart professional soccer. The research, produced by Italian immunologists and lung specialists based at institutes in Berlin, Rome and Verona, suggests that due to strenuous exercise, elite athletes are more likely to inhale virus particles and direct them to the lower areas of the lung. NASCAR aims for May 17 return at Darlington, midweek races

NASCAR sent teams a schedule for the next two months that starts with a return to racing on May 17 at Darlington, S.C., Autoweek reported on Tuesday. The race would be one of five in May and among four held near most of the NASCAR team's home bases to restart the 2020 schedule. Brady's 'All in Challenge' auction listing hits $775,000

A fan plans to shell out over $750,000 on Tuesday for the chance to have dinner with six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and claim a pack of Tampa Bay opening game tickets and memorabilia as an auction touting the newly-signed Buccaneer nears its end. The auction, ending at 9 p.m. ET (0100 GMT), reached a bid of $775,000 on Tuesday, as part of a series of celebrity and athlete offerings in the 'All In Challenge' fundraiser to help feed those in need during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Japan's Abe says impossible to hold Olympics unless pandemic contained

It will be impossible to host the Tokyo Olympic Games next year unless the coronavirus pandemic is contained, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday. The International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government postponed the Games last month until July 2021 because of the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. FIFA says 2006 World Cup fraud trial expiry "worrying" for Swiss justice system

World soccer body FIFA said the expiry without a verdict of a fraud trial in Switzerland over a payment linked to the 2006 World Cup was worrying for the sport and the Swiss justice system. The five-year statute of limitations in the case against former German Football Association (DFB) leaders Theo Zwanziger, Wolfgang Niersbach and Horst Schmidt and former Swiss FIFA official Urs Linsi expired on Monday before the Federal Criminal Court could rule.. Maradona asks for Hand of God to end pandemic

A decision to restructure Argentine football that will save Diego Maradona's club from relegation was dubbed another Hand of God moment on Tuesday, but the former striker said the divine intervention he wished for was to beat the coronavirus pandemic. The Argentine Football Association voted to suspend relegation for two seasons on Tuesday, saving the Maradona-coached Gimnasia club, who are currently bottom of the league, from going down. Murray says resuming season stalled by pandemic not top priority

Resuming the tennis season stalled by the coronavirus pandemic is not the most important thing as players first want to live their normal lives again, former world number one Andy Murray said. Professional tennis has been suspended since March because of the outbreak and the ATP and WTA Tours have said the hiatus will continue at least until mid-July. Henry cooks and waits for MLS to make decision on season

All Montreal Impact manager Thierry Henry says he can do is train, cook and wait to see when or if the Major League Soccer season will resume as countries ease novel coronavirus lockdown measures that have brought global sport to a standstill. "I'm trying to train in the morning, train in the afternoon and cooking that takes a lot of time already," said Henry, summing up his day during a Zoom conference call on Tuesday. "I know it sounds kind of boring but the situation makes it like that. NFL sets 2021 draft date in Cleveland

Cleveland received its official save the date card from the NFL for the 2021 draft. The draft, conducted virtually last weekend, will be held April 29-May 1, the NFL confirmed Tuesday.