Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Trailblazer Shields putting women's boxing on the map

Claressa Shields says that when she steps into the boxing ring, she is fighting not just for herself but also to elevate the profile of the sport she loves. The American has helped put women's boxing on the map and with victory over Ivana Habazin in Atlantic City on Jan. 10, she would become the fastest boxer in history - male or female - to hold three division world titles at the same time. Barty and Nadal claim season-ending ITF awards

Ash Barty and Rafa Nadal were named International Tennis Federation's (ITF) World Champions for 2019 on Thursday, rewarding them for stellar seasons in which they finished at the top of women's and men's rankings respectively. Barty, who quit tennis to play cricket in 2014 before returning to the game in 2016, became the first Australian to win the French Open since Margaret Court in 1973 when she beat Czech Marketa Vondrousova in June. Ferreira wins world title, Brazil 1-2 ahead of Tokyo Olympics

Brazil's Italo Ferreira upset countryman Gabriel Medina to win his first world surfing title in powerful but less-than-perfect waves at Hawaii's famed Pipeline on Thursday. Ferreira used perfect timing and positioning to negotiate the biggest, most critical tubing waves, often punctuating them with technical aerial maneuvers to finish. Tokyo 2020, IOC still to decide who pays for marathon move

Tokyo Olympics organizers said on Friday it has yet to be decided who will foot the bill for moving the 2020 marathon and race walking events to the northern city of Sapporo. Organizers said the Games were expected to cost some 1.35 trillion yen ($12.35 billion), which is in keeping with last year’s version of the budget, but that that figure did not include an estimated three billion yen for moving the events. Bryant, Duncan, Garnett top list of Hall of Fame nominees

The nominees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2020 class could build a team that's almost impossible to beat, starting with Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. The list of 50 eligible candidates was announced Thursday, with other first-time nominees including Tamika Catchings, Swin Cash, Chris Bosh, Shawn Marion, Michael Finley, Mark Eaton and Buck Williams. NHL roundup: Wild get high-scoring win over Coyotes

Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Foligno and Eric Staal each had a goal and two assists, and Brad Hunt and Ryan Hartman tallied a goal and assist each to lead the Minnesota Wild to an 8-5 win over the Arizona Coyotes in Glendale, Ariz., on Thursday night. Minnesota ended a three-game road losing streak, scoring four goals in the second period and four more in the third. The Wild lost a 4-2 lead early in the third period but outscored Arizona 4-3 in the third to get a win over the Pacific Division leaders. Take 5: Rodgers-Cousins dichotomy highlights Week 16

In a strong Week 16 slate, perhaps the most fascinating game is the final one, when the Minnesota Vikings host the Green Bay Packers on Monday night. No one would claim that Kirk Cousins is a better quarterback than Aaron Rodgers, but he has played the position better for most of this season, making for an interesting clash of styles. That's where we begin. Russia to appeal four-year doping sanctions within 10-15 days: TASS cites RUSADA

Russia's anti-doping agency RUSADA said on Thursday it will appeal sanctions barring the country's athletes from competing under its flag at top international sporting events within 10 to 15 days, the TASS news agency reported. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) earlier in December banned the country's colors and anthem from events, including the Olympics, for four years as punishment for having provided it with doctored laboratory data. NBA roundup: Bucks get bounce-back win over Lakers

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points with 11 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks bounced back from the end of their winning streak in emphatic fashion with a 111-104 victory Thursday over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers. In a battle of the teams with the best records in the NBA, the Bucks made their statement as George Hill added 21 points and Khris Middleton scored 15. Just one game earlier, the Bucks saw their 18-game winning streak come to an end with a defeat to the Dallas Mavericks. New WADA report shows jump in global doping cases

More drug cheats are being caught in global sport with the latest World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) figures on Thursday showing a 13.1% rise in anti-doping rule violations (ADRV). The WADA report detailing doping offences during 2017 counted 1,804 cases, which was up sharply from the 1,595 recorded in 2016 although down from 1,929 in 2015.