Sports News Roundup: Soccer-Messi's Paris St Germain disappoint in Brugge draw; Athletics-Salazar's four-year ban upheld by CAS - reports and more

The tumour was removed earlier this month and sent for analysis. Golf-Azinger questions Koepka's Ryder Cup commitment Former United States captain Paul Azinger has questioned Brooks Koepka's commitment to the Ryder Cup after the four-times major winner described the biennial event as "a bit odd" and said he might not be cut out for team sports.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Messi's Paris St Germain disappoint in Brugge draw

Lionel Messi failed to provide Paris St Germain with any sparkle as the Ligue 1 team's potent attacking trio lacked inspiration in a disappointing 1-1 draw at Club Brugge in their Champions League opener on Wednesday. Making his first start for the French team, the Argentine forward hit the woodwork but was otherwise far from his brilliant best alongside the hugely disappointing Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, who set up Ander Herrera for PSG's first-half opener before being replaced injured after the break.

Athletics-Salazar's four-year ban upheld by CAS - reports

American Alberto Salazar, who has coached some of the world's top long-distance runners, had his four-year suspension upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), British media reported on Wednesday. The 63-year-old Salazar, who guided Britain's Mo Farah to Olympic titles, received the ban in 2019 from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for "orchestrating and facilitating" doping as head coach of the Nike Oregon Project, an elite camp designed primarily to develop U.S. endurance athletes.

Djokovic marches on as 'Big Three' era draws to a close

Novak Djokovic's single-minded drive towards greatness makes it almost unthinkable that he would rest before owning every tennis record in the book, but some are questioning whether his hunger will survive the departure of his two main rivals. The Serbian came within one win of a 21st Grand Slam title last week that would have moved him clear of a tie with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal and also made him the only man in 52 years to claim all four major titles in the same year.

Soccer-Bullet point previews of Premier League matches

Match-by-match facts and statistics ahead of the fifth round of Premier League fixtures from Sept. 17-19 (times GMT): Friday, Sept. 17

Athletics-Venezuela's Rojas targets 16-meter triple jump

Yulimar Rojas, the Olympic triple jump champion and world record holder, has set her sights on breaching the 16-meter mark. Venezuelan Rojas jumped 15.67 meters at the Tokyo Olympics and smashed the world record for the women's triple jump on her last attempt in the final after she had already secured the gold medal.

Soccer-FIFPRO chief warns of 'breaking point' over biennial World Cup

The head of global soccer players' union FIFPRO criticized FIFA's lack of consultation with stakeholders before proposing its biennial World Cup plan, saying it raised serious concerns by adding more pressure to the international calendar. World soccer's ruling body announced a feasibility study on holding the men's and women's World Cups every two years instead of four -- a proposal which has been met with strong opposition from European governing body UEFA and South America's CONMEBOL.

Soccer-USWNTPA calls U.S. Soccer's contract proposal a 'PR stunt'

The United States Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) on Wednesday labeled the U.S. Soccer Federation's offer of identical contract proposals for both the men's and women's teams as nothing more than a publicity stunt. The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) announced its offer on Tuesday as part of an effort it said was to align the women's and men's national teams under one collective bargaining agreement.

Simone Biles condemns U.S. Olympic Committee, FBI for sex-abuse crisis

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles held back tears on Wednesday, as she told lawmakers how the FBI and U.S. gymnastic and Olympic officials failed to stop the sexual abuse that she and hundreds of other athletes suffered from former doctor Larry Nassar. "To be clear, I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse," she said before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee alongside fellow gymnasts McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, and Maggie Nichols.

Soccer-Pele ready for 'extra time' after leaving ICU

Pele said he is ready for "90 minutes, plus extra time" after leaving the intensive care unit (ICU) of a Sao Paulo hospital following surgery to remove a tumor from the Brazilian soccer great's colon. The 80-year-old, three-times World Cup winner was admitted to Alberto Einstein hospital after the tumor was found during routine tests. The tumor was removed earlier this month and sent for analysis.

Golf-Azinger questions Koepka's Ryder Cup commitment

Former United States captain Paul Azinger has questioned Brooks Koepka's commitment to the Ryder Cup after the four-times major winner described the biennial event as "a bit odd" and said he might not be cut out for team sports. In an interview with Golf Digest this week, Koepka said the team event pitting the United States against Europe threw his regular routine off and it was tough dealing with distractions such as photo opportunities, meetings, and team building.

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