Sports News Roundup: Tokyo Olympics chief attended meeting with official; September switch saves French Open and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tokyo Olympics chief attended meeting with official who now has coronavirus

Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori attended a meeting on March 10 that included the deputy head of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) who tested positive for the new coronavirus this week, officials said. Mori, who is 82 and has lung cancer, has not been tested because he has no symptoms of the virus and does not meet testing requirements, an official from Mori's office said.

September switch saves French Open but leaves organizers isolated

Postponing the French Open to September may have prevented the Grand Slam from falling victim to the coronavirus pandemic but the organizers now find themselves isolated and friendless as the tennis world comes to terms with the shock move. The French Tennis Federation (FTT), in an announcement that came out of the blue on Tuesday, said they were moving the tournament to Sept. 20-Oct. 4 from its May start because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Tokyo 2020 organizers receive Olympic flame for troubled Games

Tokyo 2020 organizers received the Olympic flame in a scaled-down handover ceremony in the Greek capital on Thursday, amid the coronavirus spread that has cast doubt on the global, multi-billion dollar event. In a brief ceremony closed to spectators in Athens' Panathenaic Stadium, site of the first modern Games in 1896, the torch was received by Tokyo Games representative Naoko Imoto.

Factbox: Sports events still happening despite coronavirus pandemic

Sports events around the world that have not been suspended, postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic:

OLYMPICS R&A hoping to conduct The Open and women's British Open in July-August

Golf's governing body the R&A said on Thursday that they are hoping The Open and the women's British Open, to be held in July and August respectively, will go ahead as planned after the coronavirus outbreak brought world sport to a standstill. The 149th Open Championship at Royal St George's Golf Course is due to be played from July 16-19 while the women's British Open at Royal Troon is scheduled for Aug. 20-23.

Motor racing-Formula One considering delay to 2021 rules

Formula One could push back major rules revamp to 2022 on Thursday with bosses and teams discussing by telephone the impact of the spreading coronavirus on this season and next. Ferrari principal Mattia Binotto told the http://www.formula1.com website that his Italian team, who started a three-week factory shutdown on Thursday after Formula One canceled the August break, was willing to do what was necessary.

UAE suspends all sporting events, raising doubts about Dubai World Cup

The United Arab Emirates on Thursday suspended all sporting events to prevent the spread of coronavirus, raising doubts about whether the Dubai World Cup horse race meeting would go ahead this month. Many professional and amateur sporting events across the country have already been canceled because of the deadly virus. Dubai World Cup organizers had said the race would go ahead on March 28, only without paid spectators.

Swiss pro rider swaps race suit for doctor's uniform on coronavirus frontline

Swiss professional cyclist Elise Chabbey has swapped her race suit for her doctor's uniform following the shutdown of the season because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 26-year-old Bigla-Katusha rider recently qualified as a doctor, would usually have been preparing for the Spring Classics, but instead is working as an intern at Geneva University Hospital.

JOC board member says Olympics should be postponed: Nikkei

Japan Olympic Committee board member Kaori Yamaguchi has said the Tokyo Olympics should be postponed because athletes are unable to prepare adequately because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo 2020 organizers have repeatedly said that the Tokyo Games, due to start on July 24, will run as scheduled. However, the spread of the coronavirus and successive cancellations of sporting events and qualifiers has raised questions over the plans, including among athletes.

Turkey suspends soccer, basketball, volleyball matches indefinitely amid coronavirus outbreak

Turkey's soccer, basketball and volleyball leagues suspended matches indefinitely on Thursday due to the widening coronavirus outbreak, bowing to pressure from players and coaches after many other countries called off sports events. Turkey's Sports Minister Muharrem Kasapoglu made the announcement in a joint press conference with the presidents of the soccer, basketball and volleyball federations.

(With inputs from agencies.)