Sports News Roundup: Creator of Misha, mascot of 1980 dies at 84; Yum China named as sponsor for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and more

Ballon d'Or 2020 scrapped due to coronavirus disruption - organisers The Ballon d'Or will not be awarded this year for the first time in its 64-year history after the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the football calendar, organisers France Football magazine said on Monday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Creator of Misha, mascot of 1980 Moscow Olympics, dies at 84

The Russian illustrator who designed Misha, the mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympics that were boycotted by a slew of countries, died on Monday aged 84, a publisher of children's books said. Viktor Chizhikov, a children's book illustrator, is best known for having created Misha, a brown bear sporting a belt in the colors of the five Olympic rings, for the Moscow Games.

Yum China named as sponsor for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

Yum China Holdings Inc was named as an official retail food services sponsor for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the KFC operator in China said on Monday. Yum China's brands, including KFC and Pizza Hut, will be on site at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.

Ballon d'Or 2020 scrapped due to coronavirus disruption - organizers

The Ballon d'Or will not be awarded this year for the first time in its 64-year history after the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the football calendar, organizers France Football magazine said on Monday. The prestigious award voted for by journalists, is an annual prize given to the best male footballer in the world since 1956.

The women's Ballon d'Or was first awarded in 2018. Hamilton braced for 'super-weird' Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton expects Silverstone to feel "super-weird" as he heads back to Britain on top of the Formula One world championship standings. The first three races in Austria and Hungary have been held without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that will remain the case at what was the best attended circuit on the calendar last year.

Tennis: Women's WTA Tour not giving up yet on China events

The Women's WTA Tour has not given up hopes on its tournaments in China despite the country's sports authority saying it will not hold any international sporting events this year aside from trials for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. China's General Administration of Sport (GAS), the highest sporting body in the country, published a policy document detailing measures to be followed this year to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

Olympics: Human Rights Watch report documents abuse of child athletes in Japan

A Human Rights Watch report has found child athletes in Japan often suffer physical and verbal abuse and sometimes sexual abuse during training after documenting the experiences of over 800 athletes in 50 sports. The 67-page report released on Monday titled "I Was Hit So Many Times I Can't Count" looks at Japan's history of physical punishment in sport and includes first-hand accounts from athletes.

McGrady, Jermaine O'Neal form player agency

Former NBA All-Stars Tracy McGrady and Jermaine O'Neal are launching a firm to represent future players. The agency will be called Seven1 Sports Group and Entertainment, Marc Stein of the New York Times reported.

Soccer: FIFPRO wants specific measures to protect players from overload

The global footballers' union FIFPRO wants concrete safeguards to protect players from fixture overload and the consequent risk of injury as the sport catches up with a backlog of matches following the novel coronavirus stoppage. FIFPRO general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann told Reuters that, with the sport facing an overcrowded calendar for the next three years, the union was talking to European clubs and leagues to find ways of protecting players.

Snooker: World Championship to allow reduced crowd, says, organisers

Snooker's World Championship at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre from July 31 to Aug. 16 will allow a limited number of spectators after the government paved the way for fans to attend elite sports events on a trial basis. Professional sport in Britain returned last month after a near three-month shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic but fans were not allowed to attend to adhere to social distancing norms to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Rare LeBron trading card brings $1.84 million at auction

A rare trading card of NBA great LeBron James' 2003-04 rookie campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers fetched $1.84 million at auction over the weekend, the league has said. Bidding for the Upper Deck card, signed by the 35-year-old who now plays for Los Angeles Lakers, began at $150,000 before it became the most expensive basketball card purchased in the modern era - those produced in 1980 or later.