Sports News Roundup: Japan will take steps to guard; Canadiens sign top draft pick Guhle and more

The eight-time All-Star will kick off the Dodgers' efforts in the best-of-seven series as the starting pitcher in Game 1 on Tuesday, capping a season that once appeared in doubt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and enduring amid a super-sized, 16-team playoff field.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Japan will take steps to guard against Olympics cyberattacks

Japan said on Tuesday it would take countermeasures to ensure next year's Tokyo Olympics are not derailed by cyberattacks after Britain and the United States accused Russia of orchestrating efforts to disrupt the Games. Olympics organisers reported no significant impact on their operations for the 2020 Games, which were postponed until next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canadiens sign top draft pick Guhle

The Montreal Canadiens agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with top draft pick Kaiden Guhle. Under terms of the deal, the contract has an average annual value of $925,000 at the NHL level and includes performance bonuses of up to $420,000 each season. The contract runs through 2022-23.

Kobe's 2008 MVP jersey to be displayed at Smithsonian museum

NBA great Kobe Bryant's jersey from the 2008 season when he won his sole regular season Most Valuable Player award will be displayed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington. Bryant, a Los Angeles Lakers icon and five-times NBA champion, was killed in a helicopter crash at the age of 41 in January along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.

Cycling: Tratnik claims Giro stage 16 as Almeida retains overall lead

Team Bahrain McLaren's Jan Tratnik edged past Ben O'Connor in a two-man finish on Tuesday to win the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia, a 229km hilly route from Udine to San Daniele del Friuli. A chase group including Ineos Grenadiers rider Ben Swift threatened to haul in solo leader Tratnik but only NTT Pro Cycling's O'Connor was strong enough to set up an exciting finish with 12km remaining.

Cycling: Team Emirates rider Gaviria tests positive for COVID-19 a second time

UAE Team Emirates said on Tuesday that rider Fernando Gaviria had tested positive for COVID-19 at the Giro d'Italia. Race organisers had said earlier that a Team Emirates rider and a Team AG2R La Mondiale staff member had returned positive results from the latest round of testing.

Battle-tested Rays take on Dodgers as World Series caps season unlike any other

A Major League Baseball (MLB) season that once appeared doomed by COVID-19 approaches the finish line on Tuesday, as a World Series showdown between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers kicks off in Arlington, Texas. Only about a quarter of the 48,000-capacity Globe Life Park will be open to ticket holders due to the ongoing pandemic that has claimed more than 200,000 lives in the United States. The ballpark is the first neutral site since 1944 to host the best-of-seven Fall Classic.

Former first-round pick Garnett retires

Guard Joshua Garnett, a first-round draft pick in 2016 by the San Francisco 49ers, has retired. The Washington Football Team, his current employer, announced the move on Tuesday.

Athletics: Anti-doping charges against world 400m champion Naser dismissed

World 400 metres champion Salwa Eid Naser has been cleared of committing an anti-doping rule violation after a World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal dismissed charges brought against her for registering four "whereabouts failures". The 22-year-old, who won gold at the World Championships in Doha last year, was charged and provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in June.

Challenging year has not diminished World Series crown, says Kershaw

Three-time Cy Young Award-winner Clayton Kershaw said a chaotic year punctuated by a protracted post-season did little to diminish the luster of a World Series crown, as his Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the Fall Classic. The eight-time All-Star will kick off the Dodgers' efforts in the best-of-seven series as the starting pitcher in Game 1 on Tuesday, capping a season that once appeared in doubt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and enduring amid a super-sized, 16-team playoff field.

Greece drops plan to allow spectators back into stadiums amid COVID-19 spike

Greece has scrapped a plan to allow spectators back into sporting events, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's office said on Tuesday, as the country implements tougher restrictions to stem an increase in COVID-19 infections. Greek authorities had initially decided to allow a restricted number of spectators into stadiums starting from Oct. 31, setting a limit equal to 10 percent of capacity, or 3,500 people.

(With inputs from agencies.)