Sports News Roundup: PGA Tour, European Tour and LIV announce merger; GB Boxing seeks associate membership of new world body and more

The French striker, 35, will leave as a free agent in the close season and is set to move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, signing a two-year deal estimated by media reports to be worth more than 100 million euros ($106.93 million). Boxing-GB Boxing seeks associate membership of new world body GB Boxing will seek associate membership of World Boxing, a new rival to the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA), as the divided sport fights for its Olympic future, it said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-No ticket? No problem for West Ham fans in Prague for Europa Conference final

Thousands of West Ham United fans descended on Prague on Tuesday ahead of the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina, filling local pubs and singing in the streets as they celebrated throughout the historic city centre. Prague police called in several hundred officers to patrol the event as they braced for an estimated 20,000 West Ham supporters - many without match tickets - to revel in their team's first European competition final in nearly half a century.

Soccer-Milan part ways with technical director Maldini

AC Milan have parted ways with technical director and former playing great Paolo Maldini, the Serie A club said on Tuesday. Maldini, 54, returned to the club nine years after his retirement from soccer and was promoted to the Rossoneri's technical director role in 2019, less than a year after he became the director of sporting strategy and development.

Golf-PGA Tour, European Tour and LIV announce merger

The PGA Tour, European Tour and rival Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit announced a landmark agreement on Tuesday to merge and form a commercial entity to unify golf, bringing an end to a what had been a bitter split in the sport. Additionally, the three organizations said in a joint news release that they will work cooperatively to allow a process for any LIV Golf players to reapply for PGA Tour and DP World Tour membership following the 2023 season.

Soccer-Benzema bids farewell to Real Madrid as he heads to Saudi Arabia

Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema said farewell to Real Madrid in a small, private ceremony closed to fans and media on Tuesday following a trophy-laden 14-year stay with the LaLiga club. The French striker, 35, will leave as a free agent in the close season and is set to move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, signing a two-year deal estimated by media reports to be worth more than 100 million euros ($106.93 million).

Boxing-GB Boxing seeks associate membership of new world body

GB Boxing will seek associate membership of World Boxing, a new rival to the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA), as the divided sport fights for its Olympic future, it said on Tuesday. GB Boxing delivers the United Kingdom's publicly-funded World Class Programme but is not a national governing body as England, Wales and Scotland have their own separate ones.

Olympics-IBA wants boxing in Olympics but will not be run by third parties - Kremlev

Boxing must stay in the Olympic Games and the International Boxing Association (IBA) will do everything for it to happen but the sport also wants respect and will not be run by third parties, IBA President Umar Kremlev said. Kremlev told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday that any decision to exclude boxing based solely on feelings of revenge against the IBA and its Russian president, and without any direct consultations, was "even worse than terrorism."

Tennis-Sabalenka sets up Muchova clash at French Open, takes stand against war

Belarusian world number two Aryna Sabalenka reached the French Open semi-finals on Tuesday by beating Ukraine's Elina Svitolina and was accused of fanning the flames by waiting for a handshake that would not come before making her stance on the war clear. Czech Karolina Muchova earlier stopped former Roland Garros runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with a 7-5 6-2 win to cruise into the semi-finals for the first time in her career.

Soccer-Juventus drops out of Super League project - EFE news agency

Italian soccer club Juventus has sent Real Madrid and FC Barcelona a letter informing them it was abandoning the failed Super League project following its management revamp, Spanish state news agency EFE reported on Tuesday. Juve, Real and Barca were the last three clubs remaining in the project, EFE added.

Soccer-Inter players named in Italy's squad for Nations League finals

Five Inter Milan players have been included in Italy manager Roberto Mancini's squad to face Spain in the Nations League semi-finals on June 15, five days after the Champions League final. Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolo Barella, Matteo Darmian and Federico Dimarco, who were not in last week's preliminary list, will join the Italy training camp in Florence on Sunday, a day after Inter face Manchester City for the European Cup.

Snooker-Two Chinese players handed life bans for match-fixing

Chinese players Liang Wenbo and Li Hang have been handed lifetime bans for match-fixing by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the governing body said on Tuesday. The pair have been found to have fixed snooker matches, persuaded or encouraged other players to fix matches and bet on matches, among other rule breaches. They have until June 20 to appeal against the decisions.