Sports News Roundup: US says looking to coordinate participation in Beijing Olympics; Osaka to cancel Olympic torch relay and more

So, we are cancelling torch relay that will take place on public streets in the whole of the prefecture," Yoshimura said on Wednesday. Woods serves up laugh ahead of Masters Champions Dinner Tiger Woods had Georgia on his mind on Tuesday, tweeting he was going to miss the traditional Masters Champions Dinner hosted this year at Augusta National by Dustin Johnson.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

U.S. says looking to coordinate participation in Beijing Olympics with allies

The United States on Tuesday said that it is looking to discuss with partners and allies how to proceed with participation in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in a coordinated way, amid growing calls for a boycott of the Games over China's human rights record. In a briefing, State Department spokesman Ned Price repeated Washington's concerns over Beijing's human rights violations, particularly its persecution of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region, which the United States deems a genocide.

Governor of Japan's Osaka to cancel Olympic torch relay on prefecture streets

The governor of Japan's major western prefecture of Osaka, Hirofumi Yoshimura, said he would cancel Olympic torch runs slated to take place on the public streets due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. "Today, we asked people in the whole of Osaka to refrain from engaging in unnecessary, non-essential outings. So, we are cancelling torch relay that will take place on public streets in the whole of the prefecture," Yoshimura said on Wednesday.

Woods serves up laugh ahead of Masters Champions Dinner

Tiger Woods had Georgia on his mind on Tuesday, tweeting he was going to miss the traditional Masters Champions Dinner hosted this year at Augusta National by Dustin Johnson. "I’ll miss running up @DJohnsonPGA’s bill at the Champions Dinner tonight. It’s still one of my favorite nights of the year," said Woods on his official Twitter account.

Athletics: Briton Hutchings calls for records reset for high-tech shoes era

World Athletics should introduce a new set of records for times set by athletes wearing high-tech footwear, said British Olympian Tim Hutchings, as debate continues over whether the shoes give runners an unfair advantage. Footwear developed by Nike played a role in two of the biggest distance-running achievements of 2019, with Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon in Vienna and Brigid Kosgei's record-breaking run at the Chicago Marathon bringing the Vaporfly shoes into the spotlight.

Punching out of poverty: Despite risks, 9-year-old Thai fighter eager to return to ring

Nine-year-old Thai kickboxer Pornpattara "Tata" Peachaurai is eager to get back in the ring after coronavirus curbs brought his fight season to a halt more than five months ago. The money he earns is vital income for his family. "All the money from boxing, the regular payment and the tips, it all goes to mum," said the lean young fighter.

ATP roundup: Jan-Lennard Struff saves five match points to win

Fifth-seeded Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany saved five match points in a 1-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory over Portugal's Joao Sousa in first-round action Tuesday at the Sardegna Open in Cagliari, Italy. Struff overcame a 5-2 deficit in the deciding set and will face British qualifier Liam Broady, a 6-1, 6-3 winner against Switzerland's Marc-Andrea Huesler.

Champ slams new Georgia voting law ahead of Masters

Cameron Champ, the only American player of Black heritage at the Masters, said he was disappointed in the new voting restrictions in Georgia, where the Augusta tournament takes place. The legislation, passed last month, makes voter identification requirements for absentee ballots more stringent and shortens early voting periods for runoffs, making it a crime to offer food and water to voters waiting in line.

First Deshaun Watson accuser speaks out

The woman who filed the first lawsuit alleging sexual assault by Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson disclosed her identity and spoke to the media Tuesday. Massage therapist Ashley Solis tearfully told her story at a press conference arranged by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing her and 21 other women who have filed suits.

Colorado to host MLB All-Star Game after Georgia voting law prompts pullout

Colorado Rockies' stadium Coors Field will host July's All-Star Game, Major League Baseball (MLB) said on Tuesday, after the annual event was relocated from Atlanta in protest over Georgia's new voting restrictions. MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred on Friday ordered the sport to relocate its 2021 All-Star Game after Georgia instituted the new voting rules, which Republican politicians endorsed but critics have said aim to suppress voting among Black people and other racial minorities who tend to vote Democratic.

Rakuten CEO Mikitani says hosting Tokyo Games this summer 'too risky'

Hiroshi Mikitani, chief executive of Japanese e-commerce group Rakuten Inc, said on Wednesday it was "too risky" to hold the 2020 Tokyo Olympics this summer, as the nation struggles with a nascent fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mikitani's remarks, posted to his Twitter account, come a day after 2020 organisers said they had decided to postpone a water polo test event, the latest setback to preparations for the Games which were postponed by a year due to the pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies.)