Sports News Roundup: Spa given green light for Belgian GP without spectators; Tokyo organizers say don't know how IOC money will be spent and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing: Spa given green light for Belgian GP without spectators

The Belgian Formula One Grand Prix, scheduled for the end of August but threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic, can go ahead without spectators, regional authorities said on Friday. The Formula One season has yet to start, with three races canceled and seven postponed, but series organizers are planning to get going in July with two races behind closed doors in Austria.

'We don't know how IOC money will be spent': Tokyo 2020 chief

The organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the first in history to be postponed, said on Friday they were not aware of detailed spending allocations for $800 million committed to next year's rescheduled Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Such knowledge is critical as the total costs of the Games, delayed by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, remain unknown, with Japan's government and the Tokyo 2020 organizers still assessing how to share the costs.

LPGA cancels Michigan tournament

The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational at Midland Country Club was scheduled to be the first LPGA event on the coronavirus-altered schedule, but the LPGA and event organizers canceled the tournament on Friday. "As I've said since this pandemic started, while we will do all we can to play safely in 2020, the most important thing is to ensure the long-term health of our Tour," LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said in a statement. "We are very thankful to the team at Dow for their ongoing and extended support. The 2019 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational was an incredible addition to our schedule, and I'm excited to see what they bring to the table in 2021."

Climbing: Olympic inclusion a boost for climbers, says Britain's Horrocks

The inclusion of sport climbing at the Olympics is a boost for competitors as they will receive additional funding, allowing them to focus on their training, former British Bouldering champion Imogen Horrocks has said. Sport climbing will make its debut in the Tokyo Games, which were scheduled to take place this year but have been postponed to July 23-Aug. 8, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Motor racing: Silverstone agrees terms with F1 for back-to-back races

Formula One and Silverstone have agreed terms for two races without spectators at the circuit this season, subject to government approval, the track's managing director Stuart Pringle said on Friday. The British Grand Prix, a home race for Mercedes' six times world champion Lewis Hamilton as well as seven of the 10 teams, is scheduled for July 19 but that could change as the sport redraws a calendar ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Esports: Le Mans organizers plan 24 Hours of virtual racing

Le Mans organizers are planning to put on the world's biggest virtual endurance race in June after being forced to postpone this year's 24 Hours to September because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The June 13-14 esports event will feature teams of professional racing drivers and gamers competing remotely on simulators.

Arrest warrants issued for NFL players over armed robbery allegations

Arrest warrants have been issued for National Football League (NFL) players Quinton Dunbar and Deandre Baker in Miramar, Florida, after they were accused of being involved in an armed robbery, local police said late on Thursday. Dunbar, a cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants cornerback Baker were accused of robbing guests at gun-point at a house party they attended near Miami a night earlier, according to the arrest warrant issued on Thursday by the Miramar Police Department.

Golf-World No. 1 McIlroy slams Trump for coronavirus response

Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for his response to the coronavirus outbreak and said it was unlikely the pair would meet for another round of golf. "We're in the midst of something that's pretty serious right now," McIlroy told the McKellar Golf Podcast https://anchor.fm/mckellargolfpodcast/episodes/McKellar-Golf-Podcast-43-Rory-McIlroy-ee2i96. "The fact that he's trying to politicize it and make it a campaign rally and say that we administer the most tests in the world like it's a contest - there's some stuff that just is terrible.

Soccer: Bundesliga boosts profile as soccer-starved fans tune in

Germany's Bundesliga will attract legions of new armchair fans around the world this weekend when it becomes the first of Europe's major soccer leagues to resume after a two-month shutdown due to the coronavirus. In normal circumstances, the German game, dominated in recent seasons by Bayern Munich, lacks the marketing pull of England's Premier League or Spain's La Liga, which boasts the world's two biggest clubs in terms of revenue - Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Tennis: ATP, WTA, and ITF extend suspensions due to COVID-19 pandemic

The ATP Tour and International Tennis Federation (ITF) have extended their suspensions of professional tennis until July 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they said on Friday. The ATP and WTA announced in April that they were suspending all tournaments until July 13, with the WTA saying on Friday it had further suspended four events due to be held in July.