Sports News Roundup: 49ers pledge $1 million; Thiem, Kyrgios to compete in July event in Berlin and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Competitive sport in England gets green light for Monday restart

After a near three-month shutdown, elite competitive sport in England can resume from Monday behind closed doors provided strict conditions are met, the government said on Saturday. The first major event is expected to be the 2000 Guineas Stakes horse race at Newmarket on June 6, although horse race meetings will be staged, without any spectators, starting on Monday at Newcastle and Tuesday at Kempton Park.

Goodell says NFL is saddened by 'tragic events' across the United States

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Saturday the league is "greatly saddened" by the recent high-profile killings of black people in the United States, including George Floyd, whose death after being pinned down by a white police officer in Minneapolis has led to widespread protests. Floyd, 46, died on Monday after police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee to his throat despite Floyd's repeated pleas for him to stop.

Pistons coach Casey: 'Let's stop the injustice now'

Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey called for change and unity in a statement issued Saturday, amid country-wide protests following the death of George Floyd earlier this week. Casey, 62, recalled his own experience as an 8-year-old in Kentucky when schools were desegregated, saying he remembers feeling helpless, "as if I was neither seen, nor heard, nor understood."

He said he believes that feeling persists. Burns dominates Woodley at UFC Fight Night

Brazilian welterweight Gilbert Burns upset American Tyron Woodley in a five-round, unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas. Burns (19-3), who is from Rio de Janeiro and trains in South Florida, has now won six straight bouts and was impressive in defeating Woodley, who entered as the No. 1 contender in the world in the welterweight division. One judge scored the fight 50-45, while the other two had it at 50-44.

Thiem, Kyrgios to compete in July event in Berlin

Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios, Kiki Bertens, and Elina Svitolina are among the men's and women's pros set to compete in the grass and hard-court events in Berlin in July. The competition will be closed to spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic.

American McKennie wears 'Justice for George' armband in Bundesliga game

United States soccer player Weston McKennie joined the chorus of outrage from athletes protesting against the death of a black man in Minneapolis by wearing an armband with the message "Justice for George" in a German league game on Saturday. Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged on Friday with murder in the death of unarmed 46-year-old George Floyd after cellphone footage of the white officer kneeling on Floyd's neck prompted a wave of protests.

Austria gives go-ahead to crowd-free F1 races

Formula One can start its season in Austria with two races behind closed doors on July 5 and 12, the country's health ministry said on Saturday. The delayed championship, which was due to get going in Australia in March, has had to cancel or postpone a string of races -- including the Monaco highlight -- due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Celtics' Brown, Pacers' Brogdon join Atlanta protest

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown drove 15 hours from Boston to help lead a peaceful protest in Atlanta on Saturday night, he said on a live stream of his Instagram account. "I drove 15 hours to get to Georgia, my community," said Brown, who is from Marietta, Ga., and is also a vice president of the National Basketball Players Association. "This is a peaceful protest. Being a celebrity, being an NBA player doesn't exclude me from no conversations at all. First and foremost, I'm a black man and I'm a member of this community. ... We're raising awareness for some of the injustices that we've been seeing.

It's not OK. 49ers pledge $1 million to organizations 'creating change'

The San Francisco 49ers will donate $1 million to "local and national organizations who are creating change," CEO Jed York announced in a statement on Twitter on Saturday night, amid nationwide protests against discrimination and police brutality. York added that the team "is committing to support the legislative priorities of the Players Coalition," an organization founded by NFL players in 2017 to oppose social injustice and racial inequality.

Italian Fognini undergoes surgery on both ankles

World number 11 Fabio Fognini underwent surgery on both ankles on Saturday to cure a long-standing problem. In a statement posted on Twitter, the 33-year-old Italian said he had hoped the two-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic will have improved his situation.

(With inputs from agencies.)