Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Coronavirus will not be opportunity for drug cheats says WADA chief

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Witold Banka had a message on Friday for any athlete thinking they could take advantage of the gap in drug-testing created by the coronavirus outbreak -- "we will catch you" and "eliminate you". WADA acknowledged last week that the coronavirus pandemic had created challenges for drug-testers with countries closing borders, cancelling flights, enforcing mandatory quarantines or isolations and the shutdown of the sporting calendar. MLB, union reach deal on stoppage-related issues

Discussions between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association regarding issues surrounding the coronavirus-induced work stoppage produced an agreement, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Thursday night. The league received the right to shorten the number of rounds in the next two drafts while also pushing back the international signing periods through 2022, according to Passan. Report: Plan for Thanksgiving baseball being considered

There could be baseball during the 2020 holidays, with USA Today reporting Friday that both Major League Baseball and its players are willing to extend the season until Thanksgiving in order to preserve as much of the schedule as possible. USA Today also reported that under a deal reached Friday, players with guaranteed contracts will start receiving an advance of $5,000 a day for 60 days, up to a maximum of $300,000. Players would be obligated to give the money back if a season is played. Athletes qualified for Tokyo 2020 to keep spots in 2021

Athletes already qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics before the Games were postponed will get to keep their spots in the rescheduled 2021 competition. About 6,200 of the 11,000 scheduled participants had already secured their positions before the global coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement, which was made official Tuesday. NFL notebook: Rodgers escaped Peru before airport shutdown

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers barely got out of Peru on March 18 just before the airport closed down due to the coronavirus pandemic, he said Friday. Speaking to radio hosts A.J. Hawk, Rodgers' former Green Bay teammate, and Pat McAfee, a former Indianapolis Colts punter, Rodgers recounted a frantic exit from South America for himself and three traveling companions. NHL players discuss possible playoff formats

With the NHL season on an indefinite hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, players have plenty of time to ponder the potential return of the sport. With it looking increasingly likely that a full 82-game regular season won't be completed, attention is turning to how the playoffs might look. Team USA weighing roster alternatives in event of spring Olympics

USA Basketball is weighing alternative roster options in the event of a potential conflict between the delayed Tokyo Olympics and the NBA season. If the postponed Games are moved from a July 2020 start to March or April of 2021, NBA players would not be eligible to participate. The NBA regular season typically ends in mid-April, when the playoffs begin. NBA notebook: Play likely to resume without fans

If the NBA regular season resumes, it is almost "100 percent" the games will be played without fans present, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Friday. Windhorst said the NBA very likely will mimic the plan being used in China for a potential end to the current hiatus, which began March 12. Health officials clear Jazz players, staff of coronavirus

Utah Jazz players and staff have been cleared of the coronavirus, the team said Friday. "The Utah Department of Health has determined that all Jazz players and staff, regardless of prior testing status, no longer pose a risk of infection to others," the team said in a statement. Weeks of anguish and a 'black box': Inside Tokyo's decision to delay the Olympics

Officials in charge of staging Tokyo's Olympic Games crowded around a low table inside Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's residence late Tuesday, wincing as they spoke by phone with the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Minutes later, Abe emerged to inform a gaggle of reporters that he had just spoken with Thomas Bach, the IOC's president, and that they had agreed to officially delay the Tokyo Olympics.

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