Sports News Roundup: Callaway to buy rest of Topgolf; Australia's Boxing Day test to have crowds of 25,000 and more

Dodgers' Turner removed from World Series game after positive COVID-19 test Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was removed from World Series Game Six in the eighth inning after news came through that he had tested positive for COVID-19, Major League Baseball said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Budding skiers hit indoor slopes ahead of China's 2022 Winter Olympics

Xia Zhiyi drove his family 40 kilometres (25 miles) to an indoor ski park in China's eastern Shaoxing city so his 12-year old daughter could practise skiing on a slope of artificial snow. His family is part of a growing number of Chinese taking interest in the winter sport which analysts say is increasingly seen as a status symbol in China and is being actively promoted by the government ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

World champion Coleman to miss Olympics after ban for whereabouts failure

World 100 metres champion Christian Coleman will miss next year's Tokyo Olympics after being banned for two years for breaching whereabouts rules, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Tuesday. Coleman, who narrowly escaped a ban last year for missing three doping tests, was provisionally suspended by the AIU in June.

Australia's Boxing Day test to have crowds of 25,000: minister

Authorities are targeting crowds of at least 25,000 people per day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for Australia's second cricket test against India, a government official said on Wednesday. Melbourne, Australia's second most populous city, was released from a coronavirus lockdown on Wednesday, with retail and hospitality businesses opening their doors for the first time in months.

Dodgers beat Rays to snap 32-year World Series drought

The Los Angeles Dodgers ended decades of heartbreak with their first World Series win since 1988 on Tuesday, a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Arlington sealing the best-of-seven championship 4-2. The Dodgers' triumph at their third World Series appearance in four years closed out a shortened season in which the final three playoff rounds were held at four neutral-site locations in a bid to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Golf: Masters Par 3 contest cancelled at spectator-free Augusta

The popular Par 3 contest normally held on the eve of the Masters will not be played next month since spectators will not be allowed at the event because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Augusta National Golf Club said on Tuesday. The beloved exhibition, which began in 1960, has become one of the most endearing traditions at the Masters and is very much a family affair as golfers often have wives, girlfriends, children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews serve as caddies.

Dodgers' Turner removed from World Series game after positive COVID-19 test

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was removed from World Series Game Six in the eighth inning after news came through that he had tested positive for COVID-19, Major League Baseball said on Tuesday. Turner was unable to celebrate with his team mates but then returned to the field for a team photo, pulling off his mask, after they clinched the championship.

Callaway to buy rest of Topgolf

Golf club maker Callaway Golf Co said on Tuesday it would buy the rest of Topgolf Entertainment Group, giving the U.S. driving-range operator an equity value of about $2 billion. Shares of Callaway, which has been an investor in Topgolf since 2006 and currently owns a 14% stake in the company, were up 2.3% at $20.25 in extended trading.

NFL reports 19 new cases of COVID-19

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in the NFL stayed even from the previous week, according to numbers released Tuesday by the league and the NFL Players Association. Testing for Oct. 18-24 resulted in 19 new cases, including eight positives among players and 11 confirmed positives among other personnel -- numbers that are identical to last week.

Djokovic, Thiem prevail in Vienna

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic recorded eight aces while defeating fellow Serbian Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (6), 6-3 in the opening round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, Austria. Djokovic delivered 39 winners in his first appearance at the event since winning the title in 2007. Home-country favorite Dominic Thiem, the second seed, also prevailed in straight sets, posting a 6-4, 7-5 triumph over Vitaliy Sachko of Ukraine.

Olympics: 'Normal again' - U.S. gymnasts blaze a trail to Tokyo meet

Gymnasts are used to having pressure on their shoulders but the athletes heading to Tokyo for next month's special meet might feel they are carrying an Olympian burden. The meet will feature gymnasts from Japan, the United States, China and Russia and marks the first international event to be held at a Tokyo Olympic venue since the Games were postponed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.