Reuters Sports News Summary

After COVID limited the number of spectators allowed onto the grounds over the last two years, the galleries are back in full force and so is the unmistakable Augusta National buzz amplified by the presence of Woods on the manicured fairways. Baseball-Five storylines to follow during the 2022 MLB season Five storylines to follow as the 2022 Major League Baseball season gets underway with Opening Day on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Cricket-Yorkshire aims to be 'beacon of hope' for diversity, says Patel

Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) aspires to be a "beacon of hope" for diversity in English cricket, its chairman Kamlesh Patel told Reuters on Tuesday. The club was rocked by a racism scandal last year after Azeem Rafiq, a former England under-19 captain of Pakistani descent, alleged that he had been a victim of institutional racism at Yorkshire.

Golf-Thomas says putting Masters on too high a pedestal undermined efforts

American Justin Thomas said years of putting the Masters on too high a pedestal thwarted his best efforts at the tournament, as he tries yet again this week to tame Augusta National. The 2017 PGA Championship winner has recorded four top-10 finishes so far in 2022, a little over a year after he won the Players Championship by a one-stroke margin, a promising sign as he fights to don the Green Jacket for the first time.

Soccer-Football Union of Russia withdraws appeal over FIFA ban

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday said the Football Union of Russia (FUR) had withdrawn its appeal against soccer's world governing body FIFA as well as the Polish, Swedish and Czech Republic Football Associations. FIFA and European governing body UEFA decided together that all Russian teams, whether national or club sides, would be suspended from participation in their competitions until further notice after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Golf-Tiger return at Augusta National has Masters buzzing

The Masters is always something special but add in a Tiger Woods comeback and the end of COVID-19 restrictions and the year's first major is poised to be turned into a golfing celebration. After COVID limited the number of spectators allowed onto the grounds over the last two years, the galleries are back in full force and so is the unmistakable Augusta National buzz amplified by the presence of Woods on the manicured fairways.

Baseball-Five storylines to follow during the 2022 MLB season

Five storylines to follow as the 2022 Major League Baseball season gets underway with Opening Day on Thursday. 1 - Lockout ends, but can sport grow its fanbase?

Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf to retire at end of season

Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf announced Tuesday that he will retire from the NHL following the conclusion of this season. Getzlaf, 36, has played his entire 17-year career with Anaheim. He is the Ducks' all-time leading scorer in both the regular season and playoffs.

Golf-Life at the top not so different for world number one Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler said his life has not changed very much since he capped his meteoric rise from obscurity to world number one last month, and that suits him just fine. The affable American said his peers have stopped to congratulate him since he won three tournaments to take top spot from Jon Rahm, but otherwise it was business as usual.

Golf-Severe weather suspends Masters practice

The Masters' second practice day was suspended on Tuesday after a storm swept across Augusta National, forcing players and spectators off the golf course. Another large crowd had flooded into the grounds with most looking to catch a glimpse of Tiger Woods, who earlier had confirmed that he will play the Masters despite suffering a career threatening leg injury 14-months ago in a car crash.

Cuba opens door to professional boxing after decades-long hiatus

Cuba announced this week that its top fighters would join the professional boxing circuit following decades of shying away from the sport after former leader Fidel Castro banned sports for pay following his leftist 1959 revolution. The "Domadores de Cuba" team will participate this year in several professional leagues after signing a contract with the Mexican company Golden Ring Promotions, state television reported on Monday.

Tennis-Wimbledon organisers holding talks with UK govt on Russian, Belarusian players

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) is holding talks with the British government on the participation of players from Russia and Belarus at this year's Wimbledon, saying on Tuesday that it hopes to announce a decision in mid-May. Russian and Belarusian players have been allowed to compete on the regular ATP and WTA Tours but not under the name or flag of their countries following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.