Sports News Roundup: Olympic postponement sees world champions lose advantage; NBA partner for league antibody study and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Hockey: Olympic postponement sees world champions Belgium lose advantage

Gold medal favorites Belgium fear they might have lost some of the advantages they held over their rivals for the Olympic men's hockey title after the postponement of the Tokyo Games and the novel coronavirus-induced sporting hiatus. Coach Shane McLeod, who led Belgium to silver in Rio de Janeiro four years ago and then a World Cup title in 2018, believes the playing field is now level again with the Games postponed by a year. But he insists it only served to heighten the challenge for him and his players.

Mayo Clinic, NBA partner for league antibody study

Mayo Clinic research hospital will conduct a leaguewide study to determine how many NBA coaches and players have developed antibodies to the coronavirus. ESPN reported executives and staff also can participate in the study piloted by the renowned Rochester, Minn., facility. All 30 teams are expected to participate.

Michigan's Harbaugh prefers empty stadiums to no games

Running out of the tunnel at Michigan Stadium with no fans is a reality Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh prefers over the alternative -- not playing games at all in 2020. Harbaugh said Wednesday in an ESPN interview that he would be comfortable coaching games in stadiums without fans. That might be a reality for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. Open without fans would devalue title win: Cilic

Marin Cilic thinks winning the U.S. Open in front of empty stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium would be forever remembered as a Grand Slam triumph with a very big asterisk, the former champion told Reuters. The tennis season came to a halt in March due to the coronavirus pandemic and the shutdown will continue at least until the end of July with many countries in lockdown and air travel bans in place.

Esports: U.S. great Andretti goes back to being a rookie on Indy oval

Mario Andretti will go back to being a rookie at the age of 80 when the motor racing great makes his esports debut on a virtual Indianapolis oval on Saturday. The 1978 Formula One champion and 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner, who also has four CART/USAC titles and a Daytona 500 triumph, will race in a Legends Trophy race organized by Torque Esports and http://www.the-race.com

Konta wants ATP/WTA to be a merger of equals

British number one Johanna Konta feels a merger of the women's governing WTA tennis body with the men's ATP makes sense but stressed it must only be on equal terms. Roger Federer last month called for a merger between the two organizations, with the Women's Tennis Association chief Steve Simon and Association of Tennis Professionals Tour Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi welcoming the suggestion.

Motor racing: Hockenheim ready to step in if Silverstone fails

Hockenheim is ready to step in if British quarantine restrictions prevent Silverstone from hosting a Formula One race during the COVID-19 pandemic, the German circuit's boss said on Wednesday. Jorn Teske told Reuters that a decision needed to be made soon, however.

ATP launches partnerships to help players with mental health, well-being

The men's tennis tour has joined up with Sporting Chance and Headspace to help players and its staff deal with mental health problems and look after their well-being during the COVID-19 shutdown, the ATP said on Wednesday. The professional tennis season was halted in early March due to the pandemic and will remain suspended until at least the end of July, depriving lower-level players who depend solely on tournament winnings of the chance to earn a living.

Pulev says he would not step aside for Joshua-Fury fight

The IBF's mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev said he would not accept a proposal to step aside and give world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua a chance to fight first with fellow Briton Tyson Fury. The 39-year-old Bulgarian was scheduled to meet Joshua on June 20 but the fight was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak with promoter Eddie Hearn floating the idea for the two Brits' unification bout in the event of a long postponement.

UK aims to restart sport in near future with new taskforce

Britain is looking at how competitive sports can resume behind closed doors in the near future, culture minister Oliver Dowden said on Wednesday, under a new taskforce examinining how the recreational and leisure sector can restart. Dowden said the taskforce would "help us think through how we can get sport back safely in a way that works for both clubs, players and supporters alike."