Sports News Roundup: Tokyo 2020 torch handover to take place in empty Athens stadium; Pistons' Wood test positive and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tokyo 2020 torch handover to take place in empty Athens stadium

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games flame handover in Athens next week will be done in an empty stadium amid the coronavirus outbreak, Greece's Olympic Committee said on Sunday. Greece on Friday canceled the remainder of the domestic Olympic torch relay through the country to avoid attracting crowds a day after the Tokyo Games flame was lit in ancient Olympia.

Reports: Pistons' Wood tests positive for coronavirus

Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood tested positive for coronavirus, multiple outlets reported Saturday night. Wood becomes the third known NBA player to test positive for the virus. Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, who played the Pistons last week, are the others.

NBA: Affected player Gobert pledges $500,000 to virus relief effort

Frenchman Rudy Gobert, the first NBA player known to have tested positive for the coronavirus, is donating more than $500,000 to support both the employee relief fund at the Utah Jazz's home arena and COVID-19-related social services relief in Utah, Oklahoma City and the French health care system, the NBA team said on Saturday. "These donations are a small token that reflects my appreciation and support for all those impacted and are the first of many steps I will take to try and make a positive difference while continuing to learn more about COVID-19 and educate others," Gobert said in a statement released by the Jazz.

Ice hockey: No champions - Sweden ends season over coronavirus

The Swedish Ice Hockey Association (SIHA) is ending the 2019-20 season immediately due to the spread of the coronavirus, with no playoffs, no champions, no promotion, and no relegation, it said on Sunday. Some matches were played last week with no fans in attendance while others were postponed, but after discussions with stakeholders the association announced the season was over.

Mixed martial arts: Oliveira wins in eerie silence as UFC Brasilia defies coronavirus fears

The sporting calendar took a serious beating this week with few events surviving the world's battle to contain the coronavirus, and even though Saturday's UFC mixed martial arts event in Brazil still went ahead, it was against a backdrop of eerie silence in an empty arena. In the main event, underdog Charles Oliveira from Sao Paolo scored a shock submission win over Kevin Lee with a guillotine choke that would have taken the roof of the Ginasio Nilson Nelson Arena, if there had been anybody there to see it.

Players vote to approve NFL owners' proposed labor deal

NFL players have voted to approve a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that will expand the playoff field and allow owners the option to lengthen the regular season, the NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) said on Sunday. The new 10-year labor deal extends through the 2030 season and offers increased compensation for every minimum-salary player, or about 60% of the NFL.

Sports events around the world hit by coronavirus pandemic

Major sports events around the world that have been hit by the coronavirus outbreak:

OLYMPICS USA Gymnastics birthday tweet brings heated Biles response

Four-times Olympic champion Simone Biles fired back at USA Gymnastics on Saturday after the sport's governing body used its Twitter account to wish her happy birthday. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most decorated gymnast of all time," the organization tweeted to its 226,000 followers as Biles turned 23.

Cycling: UCI seeks retroactive end to Olympic qualifying process

Cycling's governing body (UCI) plans to retroactively use March 3 as the cut-off point for Olympic qualification in mountain bike, BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle as the coronavirus pandemic continues to decimate the sporting calendar. Road and track cycling have completed their qualification events, the last of which was the Berlin track world championships last month, but riders in the other disciplines had until June 1 to score enough UCI points.

Australia, New Zealand farewell spectator sport as coronavirus curbs bite

The curtain lowered on spectator sport in Australia and New Zealand on Sunday, with fans watching top-flight soccer and rugby matches at stadiums for the last time before crowd bans and border controls kick in to fight the spread of coronavirus. With sport at a virtual standstill across much of the globe, the Antipodean nations are among the last hold-outs for elite competition, even as infections rise and the noose tightens around international travel.