Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. China's Li focused on self improvement during COVID-19 shutdown

China's Li Haotong says the disruption to the golf calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic has made him love the sport even more and he has been using the enforced break to iron out the flaws in his game. The 24-year-old, who last year became the first mainland Chinese golfer to play in the Presidents Cup, has invested in fitness equipment and a golf simulator, and is also working on the mental side of the game after a disappointing 2019. Rowing: Row me to the moon, let me scull among the stars

Rowers from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Britain whose training on the water has been restricted due to the novel coronavirus pandemic have been challenged to help their countries row to the moon. Or at least the distance from the Earth to the moon of 384.4 million metres. Sport - On this day: Born May 20, 1952: Roger Milla, Cameroonian footballer

When the country’s president demanded that a soon-to-turn 38-year-old striker be included in the World Cup squad, it was seen as a new low for African football. The game on the continent had long been dogged by the fatuous interventions of powerful politicians, but messing with selection for the sport’s global showpiece event seemed hare-brained in the extreme. California, New York open door for sports return

California governor Gavin Newsom cleared a path for the potential return of professional sport in the state, saying on Monday that an early June restart was possible under strict guidelines, including no fans. Shuttered for nearly two months by the novel coronavirus outbreak, the NBA, NHL, MLS and MLB are all working up scenarios to restart their seasons but any plans have had to factor in state pandemic guidelines and restrictions on large gatherings. Button shocked Vettel will not be at Ferrari next season

Former world champion Jenson Button says he is shocked Sebastian Vettel will not drive for Ferrari next season and that it would be "madness" if the team had pushed him out. Ferrari said last week that four-times world champion Vettel would leave them at the end of the 2020 season, after talks on a new contract ended without a deal. Professional Bull Riding to bring fans back to the stands in July

Professional Bull Riding (PBR) will swing open its gates this summer, offering what it claims will be the first live pro sporting event in the U.S. with fans in attendance since the COVID-19 outbreak. As many communities across the United States remain on lockdown, PBR said it expects people in the stands at its July 10-12 bucking bull championship competition in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with the state's governor offering her endorsement. Barred from the course, fans tune-in to skins match

The first live televised golf event in the United States since the coronavirus outbreak brought world sport to a standstill attracted an average of 2.35 million viewers on Sunday, NBC Sports said. World number one Rory McIlroy paired up with Dustin Johnson to defeat Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff in a charity skins match, with the event raising more than $5.5 million for COVID-19 relief. ITF plans on new relief fund to support lower-level players

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has said it is working on additional measures, including a new relief fund, to support lower-ranked professionals who have been left in the lurch due to coronavirus-led lockdowns. The professional tennis season was halted in early March and will remain shut until at least July end due to travel restrictions that numerous countries have implemented to contain the spread of the virus. Spain's Bautista Agut still eyeing elusive ATP Finals spot

Qualifying for the season-ending men's ATP Finals, which features the world's top eight singles players and doubles teams, is one of the goals for Roberto Bautista Agut before he retires, the Spaniard has said. The 32-year-old came close to ticking that off his wish list when he rose to a career-high world ranking of ninth last year and served as a reserve player for the 2019 edition of the event in London. Le Mans 24 Hours must happen, says WEC boss

A cast of top drivers will race in a virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans in June but the postponed real-life version must also happen this year, even if without spectators, World Endurance Championship (WEC) boss Gerard Neveu said on Monday. The race at the Sarthe circuit in north-west France, now in its 88th edition, is the crowning glory of the WEC season and was attended by 250,000 people in 2019 with a large number coming from Britain.