Sports News Roundup Hosting Women's World Cup could be 'transformative': NZF chief; U.S. women's team denied bid for immediate appeal in equal pay claims and more

Djokovic tests positive for COVID-19, says 'extremely sorry' to others Novak Djokovic, the men's world number one tennis player, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday and then apologised to all individuals who contracted the virus after playing in an exhibition tournament he organised in Serbia and Croatia.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Hosting Women's World Cup could be 'transformative': NZF chief

New Zealand soccer chief Andrew Pragnell says their joint bid to host the 2023 Women's World Cup with Australia could be a template for cross FIFA confederation cooperation and that the event could transform the game in Oceania. NZF Chief Executive Pragnell told Reuters the timing was right to launch a bid to host the World Cup, which has been expanded to 32 teams from 24 after the 2019 tournament in France drew massive television audiences and commercial interest.

U.S. women's team denied bid for immediate appeal in equal pay claims

The U.S. women's national soccer team's bid to immediately appeal the dismissal of their equal pay claims against their national federation was denied on Tuesday. Judge R. Gary Klausner of the United States District Court for the Central District of California said their appeal must wait until after their remaining claims including unfair medical services, travel, and training proceed to trial, which is set for Sept. 15.

Golf: Champ tests positive for COVID-19, withdraws from Connecticut event

Cameron Champ has withdrawn from this week's event in Cromwell, Connecticut after he tested positive for COVID-19 during pre-tournament screening, the PGA Tour said on Tuesday. Champ, a two-times winner on the PGA Tour, is the second known member of the circuit to test positive for the novel coronavirus following fellow American golfer Nick Watney's positive test last Friday.

Reports: Jokic, six other NBA players test positive for COVID-19

Seven NBA players, including Denver Nuggets All-Star center Nikola Jokic, have tested positive for the coronavirus recently, according to various media reports Tuesday. The only one of the group who was specifically identified was Jokic, who reportedly is under quarantine in his native Serbia, per multiple media outlets.

Coates touts Queensland 2032 bid as economic salve for COVID-19

A successful bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games in Queensland could help Australia recover from the economic impact of COVID-19, the country's Olympic chief John Coates has said. The northeastern state suspended its work on its bid last month, citing a need to focus on its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

World Rugby lauds economic success of Japan World Cup

The Rugby World Cup held in Japan last year was the most economically successful World Cup to date, attracting some 242,000 international visitors and adding £2.3 billion ($2.9 billion) to the country's GDP, a report said on Wednesday. It was also "the biggest single-sport event ever held in Japan," said the report, which was commissioned by the sports governing body World Rugby and conducted by consulting firm EY.

Justice Department says no federal crime committed in NASCAR noose case

The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday it found no federal crime was committed after a noose was discovered in the garage of Bubba Wallace, the only Black driver in NASCAR's top series. The investigation determined the noose, a symbol connected to lynching, and America's slave history, found in Wallace's stall at the Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday may have been in that garage since last October.

MLB: League, players agree to 60-game season, starts in July

Major League Baseball (MLB) and its players' association agreed to a shortened 60-game 2020 season on Tuesday, ending weeks of heated talks between team owners and their players. Players will report for spring training by July 1 with the season set to begin on July 23 or July 24, MLB said.

Djokovic tests positive for COVID-19, says 'extremely sorry' to others

Novak Djokovic, the men's world number one tennis player, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday and then apologized to all individuals who contracted the virus after playing in an exhibition tournament he organized in Serbia and Croatia. Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, Croatia's Borna Coric, and Viktor Troicki have previously tested positive after playing in Djokovic's Adria Tour exhibition tournament in the Balkan region.

Djokovic's charity event exposes risks faced by professional athletes

Novak Djokovic aimed to help people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with his charity tournament but with a number of players testing positive for the virus after attending the event, it could imperil the resumption of professional tennis. The men's world number one was the fourth player to contract the virus after Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, Croatia's Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki previously tested positive after playing in the Adria Tour event in the Balkan region.