Reuters Sports News Summary

The high court rejected the university's appeal of a lower-court ruling in favor of former members of the team who say MSU violated Title IX by not providing enough opportunities for women athletes to participate in sports. Soccer-Injured Morocco midfielder joins squad for World Cup encouragement Morocco midfielder Amine Harit, originally chosen to play at the World Cup but injured one week before the start of the tournament, arrived in Qatar on Monday to be with the team for their semi-final against France on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Body of sportswriter Wahl, who died while covering World Cup, returns to U.S

The body of well-known U.S. soccer journalist Grant Wahl, who died suddenly on Friday after collapsing while covering a match at the World Cup in Qatar, has arrived in the United States, the State Department said on Monday. "American journalist Grant Wahl has been returned to his family in the U.S. We're honored to have shepherded him home, & grateful to the government of Qatar for their cooperation & transparency with our consular process," U.S. ambassador to Qatar, Timmy Davis, said in a tweet.

Soccer-Can Morocco or Croatia shatter World Cup's glass ceiling?

Croatia and Morocco are the surprise guests in the World Cup's final four but, as the Croatians discovered in 2018 and many other long-shot semi-finalists have before them, the two remaining steps to become world champions can be the steepest. In the 21 editions of the World Cup over 92 years featuring 79 nations, there have still been only eight winners and only 13 have made it to the final. Spain were the last to join the elite group of champions in 2010 after France in 1998 and Argentina in 1978.

Tennis-Top-ranked Swiatek named WTA Player of the Year

World number one Iga Swiatek was crowned WTA Player of the Year for the first time in her career, while Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova were named Doubles Team of the Year, the governing body of the women's game said on Monday. Poland's Swiatek went on a superb 37-match winning run and won the French and U.S. Opens as well as titles at Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome and San Diego.

Soccer-Morocco rewrite Africa's World Cup history

African teams have claimed several giant-killing results at World Cups but nothing like the unprecedented run of Morocco in Qatar that will fuel hopes of more representation at future tournaments. Morocco have eliminated Belgium, Spain and Portugal -- all ranked in the world's top 10 -- to become the first African team to reach the last four and they now eye the scalp of holders France on Wednesday.

Athletics-Double 800m Olympic champion Rudisha survives plane crash

Twice Olympic 800 metres champion David Rudisha of Kenya escaped unhurt from a plane crash as he was returning from a sporting event at the weekend. The plane carrying the world 800m record holder and five other passengers crashed in Kajiado county in south-east Kenya after they attended the annual Maasai Olympics competition at Kimana Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday.

Table tennis-Athletes' passport, vaccination details leaked online - report

The passport details and vaccination certificates of hundreds of professional table tennis players have been leaked online after a security issue on the server of the sport's governing body ITTF, Dutch news service RTL Nieuws reported on Monday. China's Olympic champion Ma Long and compatriot and world champion Fan Zhendong were among victims of the breach of privacy, with their passport details available online, the report said.

Soccer-U.S. midfielder Reyna says limited World Cup role affected his training

United States midfielder Gio Reyna said on Monday being told by coach Gregg Berhalter he would have a very limited role at the World Cup affected his training in the run-up, but that he apologized and was forgiven by the team. Reyna's comments came after Berhalter's weekend remarks that the team had a player "clearly not meeting expectations on and off the field" whom they had contemplated sending home, according to the Charterworks newsletter.

U.S. Supreme Court rejects Michigan State's appeal in Title IX swimming case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider how strictly to interpret the landmark Title IX civil rights law's protections for gender equality in college sports in a lawsuit challenging Michigan State University's elimination of its women's swimming and diving team. The high court rejected the university's appeal of a lower-court ruling in favor of former members of the team who say MSU violated Title IX by not providing enough opportunities for women athletes to participate in sports.

Soccer-Injured Morocco midfielder joins squad for World Cup encouragement

Morocco midfielder Amine Harit, originally chosen to play at the World Cup but injured one week before the start of the tournament, arrived in Qatar on Monday to be with the team for their semi-final against France on Wednesday. Harit, 25, was welcomed by team mates, several of whom posted pictures with him on social media. He has moved in with the squad at their base in Doha and was continuing his treatment for a knee injury with the Moroccan medical staff.

Motor racing-Capito steps down as Williams F1 team principal

Williams Formula One team principal and chief executive Jost Capito is stepping aside after two years in charge and technical director Francois-Xavier Demaison is also leaving, the former champions said on Monday. British-based Williams said in a statement that they would announce replacements in due course.