Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. UFC cuts bout after fighter tests positive for coronavirus

UFC has withdrawn a bout from Saturday's card in Jacksonville after middleweight Jacare Souza and two of his cornermen tested positive for the new coronavirus, the mixed martial arts promotion said. Brazilian-born Souza was supposed to fight American Uriah Hall at UFC 249, which was originally scheduled for April 18 in New York but postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak. Reports: Silver says NBA doesn't expect fans back this year

With major sports leagues preparing for the eventuality of restarting behind closed doors amid the coronavirus pandemic, NBA commissioner Adam Silver reportedly took the concept to the next level on Friday. The NBA might end up playing with no fans in the stands into next year barring the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, Silver reportedly said during a conference call open to all NBA players. Olympics: Tokyo Games could be 'greatest ever', says Coates

Senior international Olympics official John Coates said on Saturday the delayed Tokyo Olympics could end up being the greatest Games ever, coming next year as the world emerges from COVID-19 crisis. Coates, Australia's Olympic chief and head of the International Olympic Committee's inspectorate for the Games, cited the examples of positive Summer Games that followed the two world wars of the 20th century. Conmebol unhappy with FIFA over five substitutes change

FIFA's decision to temporarily allow up to five substitutions per match to help cope with potential fixture congestion was met coolly in South America on Friday. "This change has taken us by surprise, it was not made in consultation with our confederation," Alejandro Dominguez, president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), said on twitter. U.S. women's soccer team file to appeal equal pay ruling

The U.S. women's soccer team have filed to appeal a district court decision handed down last week that dismissed their claims for equal pay, a spokesperson for the team said on Friday. The team suffered an unexpected blow to their high-profile case against their federation when the court threw out the players' claims that they were under paid in comparison with the men's national team. On this day: Born May 10, 1995: Missy Franklin, American swimmer

A "star in the making" were the prophetic words of an announcer who had just witnessed 16-year-old Missy Franklin slice up the competition at swimming's 2011 world championships. Franklin, who would just as soon use her 6-foot-four-inch wingspan to hug a competitor as she would to demolish them in the pool, harnessed an upbeat outlook that propelled her to the greatest heights of her sport and helped her weather the crushing lows. NFL: Players, coaches call for investigation into killing of Ahmaud Arbery

NFL greats Tom Brady and Anquan Boldin were among dozens of prominent players and coaches who called on Friday for a federal investigation into the death of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed black man who was shot while running in Georgia. State investigators arrested a white former police officer, Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis, 34, on Thursday and charged with them with murder and aggravated assault in the Feb. 23 killing in the small coastal town of Brunswick. None more unbeatable than Djokovic at his best, says Martin

There is no one more unbeatable in men's tennis than Novak Djokovic when the Serb is at his best, former world number four American Todd Martin has said. Reigning world number one Djokovic has already established himself as one of the best ever to play the game and the Serb's Grand Slam haul of 17 is just three behind the 20 that Roger Federer has amassed. The Swiss player will be 39 in August. Ex-NHL player who had COVID-19: Season shouldn't resume

Former NHL player Georges Laraque, who has recovered from COVID-19, doesn't want to see the season resume amid the pandemic. "To be asking guys to be tested and be quarantined for two to three months away from the family during this crisis is unfair and inhuman," Laraque told Canada's TSN. "Am I going to be forced to be away from my family and be scared of what's going to happen when I'm not there? And what if something happens when I'm playing and my wife gets sick and I want to go back home?" Baseball: Slow return to normality as Taiwan lets some fans back in

Taiwan reopened baseball games to a limited number of fans on Friday for the first time since controls were imposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus, part of government efforts to slowly allow normal life to resume. Taiwan has been relatively successful at controlling the virus, with 440 cases to date and 6 deaths, with only 85 active infections, thanks to early prevention and detection efforts.