Reuters Sports News Summary

The former England international midfielder, who scored 161 goals in 443 league appearances for Southampton between 1986 and 2002, said on Twitter he had "decided to step aside". Tennis-France's Tsonga to retire after Roland Garros Former world number five Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will play his final tournament at next month's French Open, he said on Wednesday, announcing his decision to bow out of the sport at his home Grand Slam.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Athletics-Boston Marathon restricts Russian, Belarusian runners

Russian and Belarusian athletes who were accepted via open registration to the Boston Marathon and reside in their home countries will not be allowed to compete in this month's event, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) said on Wednesday. Runners who are Russian and Belarusian citizens but reside outside either country will be permitted to compete but not under the Russian or Belarusian flag.

Golf-Major interest as Woods returns to Masters

The Masters officially gets underway on Thursday at 8am ET (1200 GMT) when Jose Maria Olazabal hits the opening tee shot but for many golf fans the year's first major will not truly begin until just over two hours later when Tiger Woods appears on the tee. With COVID-19 restrictions lifted and Woods returning from a serious leg injury, fans are set to pour into Augusta National and most at some point will find their way to Woods who partners South African Louis Oosthuizen and Chile's Joaquin Niemann.

Soccer-American Kirchner named preferred bidder for Derby

American businessman Chris Kirchner has been named as the preferred bidder for second-tier side Derby County, the English Championship club's administrators said on Wednesday. Kirchner, 34, said in October he wanted to take Derby out of administration and was seeking approval from the English Football League (EFL) to become owner of the club.

Golf-Uh-oh Canada: Weir and Hughes win Masters Par Three to share curse

Canadians Mike Weir and Mackenzie Hughes will take on the Masters Par Three contest curse after being declared co-winners on Wednesday of the fun-filled tune-up to the main event. While the Par Three is a stress free family day for golfers before facing the Masters pressure cooker on Thursday for those who believe in superstition victory comes with a jinx -- meaning the result was not a good omen for the two Canadians or their fans.

Transgender women should not compete in female events - British PM

Transgender women should not be competing in female sporting events, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told broadcasters on Wednesday. Johnson was speaking as the country looked set to abandon plans to hold a flagship conference designed to promote LGBT+ rights around the world.

Soccer-Le Tissier quits as Southampton ambassador after Ukraine tweet

Southampton great Matt Le Tissier quit as an ambassador for the Premier League club on Wednesday after deleting a link to a social media post that questioned reports Russian forces executed civilians in Ukraine. The former England international midfielder, who scored 161 goals in 443 league appearances for Southampton between 1986 and 2002, said on Twitter he had "decided to step aside".

Tennis-France's Tsonga to retire after Roland Garros

Former world number five Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will play his final tournament at next month's French Open, he said on Wednesday, announcing his decision to bow out of the sport at his home Grand Slam. Tsonga, 36, has struggled with injuries in recent years and claimed only his second win since 2019 in February after missing almost the entire 2020 season with a back injury and posting a 1-8 record last year.

NBA-Soul searching ahead for Lakers after missing playoffs

Big changes are likely to be in store for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason after their hopes of making the NBA playoffs were dashed when they fell 121-110 to the Suns in Phoenix on Tuesday. The game marked the seventh consecutive loss for the 31-48 squad that went into the season with lofty expectations after adding veteran guard Russell Westbrook to the tandem of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Cricket-Cummins equals IPL record for fastest fifty in stunning run chase

Fast bowler Pat Cummins showed he was also capable of doing damage with the bat after equalling the record for the fastest fifty in the Indian Premier League (IPL), leading the Kolkata Knight Riders to victory over the Mumbai Indians on Wednesday. Having arrived soon after Australia's tour of Pakistan, Cummins walked in at 101-5 with Kolkata chasing 162 for victory and immediately went after the bowling to reach his half-century in 14 balls, equalling KL Rahul's record.

Soccer-Maradona's 'Hand of God' shirt expected to fetch $5.23 million at auction

The shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored his infamous "Hand of God" goal against England at the 1986 World Cup is expected to sell for at least 4 million pounds ($5.23 million), auctioneer Sotherby's said on Wednesday. The shirt is owned by former England midfielder Steve Hodge, who swapped shirts with Maradona after Argentina won the match 2-1 thanks to two goals by the forward, the second a solo effort considered to be one of the greatest ever scored.