Sports News Roundup: Hamilton to Ferrari? Intriguing, but don't bank on it; Halep says ITIA trying to delay her doping hearing further and more

The NFL cited "integrity of the game" as the main reason for the rule change, which follows the San Francisco 49ers' debacle in January's NFC championship game, where they lost their starting and backup quarterbacks with injuries and were ultimately crushed 31-7 by the Philadelphia Eagles. MLB roundup: Dodgers outslug Braves in series opener J.D. Martinez hit two home runs and Freddie Freeman had a double and a homer to help the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers overcome a four-run deficit and beat the Atlanta Braves 8-6 in the opener of a three-game series matching the National League's two winningest teams.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing-Hamilton to Ferrari? Intriguing, but don't bank on it

Lewis Hamilton is out of contract with Mercedes at the end of the Formula One season and, inevitably, speculation that the seven-times world champion could move to Ferrari is again picking up speed. The Daily Mail reported on Monday that Ferrari were set to offer the 38-year-old Briton a 40 million pound ($50.48 million)deal to race in red as team mate to Charles Leclerc, with company president John Elkann making the approach.

Tennis-Halep says ITIA trying to delay her doping hearing further

Former world number one Simona Halep has accused the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) of seeking to further delay her independent tribunal doping hearing and said she is being denied her right to be heard. The 31-year-old former Wimbledon and French Open champion has been provisionally suspended since October 2022 after testing positive for banned blood-booster roxadustat at the U.S. Open last year.

Fencing-Italy limits Russian participation at world championships

Italy plans to impose restrictions on athletes from Russia and Belarus who will be allowed to compete at the fencing world championships in Milan in July, the head of its National Olympic Committee (CONI) said on Tuesday. Sofia Pozdniakova, the Olympic champion daughter of Russia's Olympic Committee president, will be one of those to face exclusion under the restrictions, which are prompted by advice from the Italian government.

NFL-League owners approve proposal to allow third active quarterback

National Football League (NFL) teams will be allowed to have a third active quarterback on game day in case of emergency after the league owners approved a bylaw proposal at the Spring League Meeting on Monday, NFL Network reported. The NFL cited "integrity of the game" as the main reason for the rule change, which follows the San Francisco 49ers' debacle in January's NFC championship game, where they lost their starting and backup quarterbacks with injuries and were ultimately crushed 31-7 by the Philadelphia Eagles.

MLB roundup: Dodgers outslug Braves in series opener

J.D. Martinez hit two home runs and Freddie Freeman had a double and a homer to help the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers overcome a four-run deficit and beat the Atlanta Braves 8-6 in the opener of a three-game series matching the National League's two winningest teams. Martinez went 4-for-5 with a pair of solo shots. Freeman, who played for Atlanta from 2010-21, went 3-for-5 and extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

Olympics-France prepares its guard against drone strikes, security threats

France will deploy 35,000 security agents and the military to secure the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony, a river parade through the heart of Paris, from security threats including drone strikes, the interior minister said. Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to line the Seine river along the 6km route to watch the national delegations sail in a flotilla of boats from the Austerlitz Bridge to the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

Motor racing-Stefan Wilson ruled out of Indianapolis 500 after crash

Britain's Stefan Wilson, younger brother of the late F1 and IndyCar driver Justin, will miss Sunday's Indianapolis 500 after injuring his back in a heavy crash on Monday. Wilson went into the barrier after his car was hit from behind in afternoon practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by compatriot Katherine Legge.

Cycling-Almeida wins Giro stage 16, Thomas back in pink

Portuguese rider Joao Almeida saw off Geraint Thomas to win stage 16 of the Giro d'Italia on Tuesday with an impressive late sprint on the slopes of Monte Bondone, while the Welshman regained the leader's maglia rosa jersey. Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) launched his attack with around five km remaining and beat Thomas in a two-man sprint to earn his first Giro stage win after a mountainous 203-km route that totalled over 5,000m of elevation gain.

Soccer-Saka signs new long-term contact at Arsenal

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has signed a new long-term deal at the club, the Premier League side said on Tuesday. The 21-year-old England international, who joined the north London side's academy as an eight-year-old, has been a key figure in the last two campaigns, having already made 178 first-team appearances.

Soccer-Spain arrests 7 after racist incidents targeting Vinicius Jr

Police detained seven men on Tuesday over separate alleged hate crime incidents against Real Madrid football player Vinicius Jr as Spain's main soccer league urged changes to Spanish law that would enable it to take steps to curb racism in stadiums. Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti expressed support for Vinicius Jr, whom he expected would remain at the club.

(With inputs from agencies.)